After tech publications across the internet - this blog included - broadcast the FBI's warnings about the global internet shutdown that could potentially take place on July 9, analysts now posit that estimates may have been exaggerated.

On Monday, the FBI unplugged the temporary servers it had set up as a security measure following a widespread hacker scam that had redirected hundreds of thousands of Apple devices and laptops with Windows to a criminal network that displayed fake online advertising on their monitors. The FBI voiced concern that any infected hardware that had been transferred from the malicious server to a clean FBI connection may lose internet access.

Because the event had the potential to impact about 300,000 computers around the world, the malware that started it all - DNS Changer - was nicknamed the "Doomsday Virus." However, possibly because of the efforts of the FBI and an emergency team of industry experts known as the DNS Changer Working Group to publicize the problem, the big day was relatively uneventful in the tech world.

According to Reuters, the group monitored the effects of the virus by logging the number of calls made to internet providers regarding connection issues. The source states that there had been no significant rise in service calls  by Monday afternoon on the U.S. East Coast.

This is not the first time in this case that the FBI has overstated the figures. When the DNS Changer scam was in full swing, the organization first estimated that millions of devices had been affected, but CNN reports that they later adjusted the number to hundreds of thousands.

When purchasing a new device, be it a Sony Vaio or Macbook Air, it's important to know all of the cybersecurity options that can shield it from these types of attacks. Consult an experienced specialist at PortableOne to review the built-in security features and additional  software available for increased protection.