DNSChanger is a nasty piece of malware that – according to the FBI – still infects more than four million computers worldwide.

When the FBI arrested the people responsible for creating and controlling DNSChanger, they realized that taking down the servers controlling the malware would interrupt Internet access for computers still infected. So they left the DNSChanger servers up, but disabled the malware’s ability to spread further. They issued warnings to the general public, stating that they intended to shut down the DNSChanger servers on July 9, 2012. That day is approaching.

To avoid having your computer essentially cut off from the Internet on Monday, you should use one of the many available DNSChanger detection sites to determine whether your computer is infected. In the unlikely event that your computer is found to be infected, instructions and tools for removal of DNSChanger are available.

VRT reports on a phishing campaign seen recently. This particular phishing attempt arrives as an unsolicited email that appears to be from UPS, about a delivery failure.

As with all phishing attempts, the goal is to trick the email recipient into thinking that this is a legitimate email from UPS. Once the user has been tricked into clicking one of the embedded links, software is installed surreptitiously. This software then attempts to steal usernames, passwords and banking information.

Other phishing attacks may use slightly different approaches, such as tricking the user into entering their banking information onto a malicious web page.

There are very few anti-malware packages that can prevent this sort of attack. The exceptions are typically expensive and geared toward corporate clients. Average users must rely on their own common sense to detect these attacks and simply delete the offending email.