Waiting for Computer Worm

MYFOXNY.COM - Will the Conficker worm be a nightmare for computer users today — or will it turn out to be another deal like the Y2K problem: more talk than action? No one knows for sure, but like Y2K, the best defense — is a good defense. Computer users who normally don't pay much attention to virus protection have been checking their computers to make sure it's shielded from the bug. There are a number of tools available to rid computers of the infection. And it's relatively easy for people to tell whether their computer might be affected by the bug. The worm is considered especially dangerous because it spreads without human involvement. It's believed that more of the bugs might become active on April Fools Day, which is why you've been hearing so much about it recently.

On the Net:

List of Conficker removal programs:

http://www.confickerworkinggroup.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?nANY.RepairTools

Homeland Security's announcement of its detection tool:

http://tinyurl.com/c3petb

PC Magazine reports that the Conficker Worm woke up in Austrailia as it turned midnight there but has caused little damage.

It reports that security company Trend Micro has seen the Conficker or Downadup worm increase the number of DNS resolutions. At this point, however, the worm has taken no other action.

It was suggested that you give your computer a checkup because a virus could be on it right now -- dormant but quietly gathering your personal information. The Conficker-C worm is supposed to become active on April 1.

Things To Know:
1. A Conficker Worm is a computer worm that can infect your computer and spread itself to others across a network, without human interaction.
2. There have been two previous Conficker Worms (Conficker A and B), but type C is considered more potent and stealthier than the previous variants.
3. Conficker-C is considered a logic bomb, which is a worm that is stored dormant somewhere on the computer, with code that comes alive on a specified date (In this case, April 1st).
4. A computer infected with a Conficker Worm generally disables the the anti-virus software and blocks access to computer security websites, such as Microsoft Update. It will also stop pc's from receiving automated software updates.
5. There is a lot that this computer worm is speculated to do, but no one knows for certain. What is known is that on April 1st, all infected computers will succumb to the control of a "Master Computer".

Steps that were suggested to be taken before April 1st:
1. Make sure your PC is up-to-date with all security and virus definitions.
2. Make sure your anti-virus is running currently; as a Conficker infected computer may have disabled it already.
3. CLICK HERE for a free online saftey scan (courtesy of Microsoft) which should be able to detect whether your computer is infected or not.

Additional Information:

CONFICKER FACTS FROM MICROSOFT

READ MORE ABOUT CONFICKER

SRI INTERNATIONAL

Microsoft is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to whoever is responsible for the worm.  The company has had a team working for months to try to stay ahead of the mutating worm.