Hundreds of thousands may lose Internet in July

WASHINGTON (AP) — For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections after early July.

The problem started when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual move, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system will be shut down this summer.

The FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by a security partner that will inform them whether they're infected — and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won't be able to connect to the Internet.

To check and clean computers, try: http://www.dcwg.org