Cutoff by computer virus averted

The Wall Street Journal reported the largest Internet service providers took steps Sunday to make sure infected machines could stay online.

Chances are, your computer can reach the Internet this morning. A long-feared cutoff caused by a worldwide computer virus appears to have been avoided.

The Wall Street Journal reported the largest Internet service providers took steps Sunday to make sure infected machines could stay online.

The interruption was predicted when the FBI said it would take certain servers offline at midnight. But industry sources say most PCs have been updated, and the virus removed. The malware dates back to 2007. At its peak it infected millions of computers. But the FBI’s operation Ghost Click last year shut down an Estonian ring behind the hacking.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily Cybersecurity Update. For more cybersecurity news, click here.

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