Conficker Virus April 1 Deadline
Monday, March 30, 2009
Lots of people have asked me about the Conficker virus and its April 1, 2009 deadline. The short version is, make sure you have your latest antivirus updates and Microsoft patches.
Conficker aka Downadup has been around for months (you can find my other entries about it here, here and here). Like other viruses it works by installing a core piece of itself, then downloading so-called "payloads" that enable other abilities. Hackers test variants of the virus by unleashing them on an unwitting world, in this case Conficker A, Conficker B, and Conficker C, the latest and most aggressive. On April 1st, researchers predict Conficker C will download its payload, this one possibly with far-reaching consequences. But it's hard to tell if this is media hype or real danger.
Your best protection is prevention. Even if you think you're okay, a scan with a Conficker detection tool wouldn't be amiss. And be sure to subscribe to the email version of Tech Tips for the latest computer news.
ADDENDUM: Scammers are poisoning search results, so if you try to do a web search for instructions to remove Conficker you may wind up at malicious web sites. Be sure to obtain removal tools only from legitimate sites like Microsoft's. When in doubt, type the address manually into your address bar instead of clicking on a link.
Posted byTriona Guidry at 4:08 PM
Labels: alerts, antivirus, Internet, malware, spyware, viruses, windows