Conficker Worm Finally Begins Attacking PCs

[Alasad PGen4]

Conficker Worm Finally Begins Attacking PCs

Friday, April 24, 2009 http://www.foxnews.com/images/reuters.gif
http://www.foxnews.com/images/524271/6_62_binary_graphic_color.jpg (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517817,00.html#) AP



BOSTON — A malicious software program known as Conficker that many feared would wreak havoc on April 1 is slowly being activated, weeks after being dismissed as a false alarm, security experts said.
Conficker, also known as Downadup or Kido, is quietly turning an unknown number of personal computers into servers (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517817,00.html#) of e-mail spam, they added.
The worm started spreading late last year, infecting millions of computers (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517817,00.html#) and turning them into "slaves" that respond to commands sent from a remote server that effectively controls an army of computers known as a botnet.
Its unidentified creators started using those machines for criminal purposes in recent weeks by loading more malicious software (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517817,00.html#) onto a small percentage of computers under their control, said Vincent Weafer, a vice president with Symantec Security Response, the research arm of the world's largest security software maker, Symantec Corp.
• Click here to read how to protect yourself from the Conficker worm. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,511870,00.html)
• Click here for Microsoft's solution. (http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/conficker.mspx)

[zimbu]

There is a simple and effective way to detect this.

Follow this link:

Conficker Eye Chart (http://www.confickerworkinggroup.org/infection_test/cfeyechart.html)

And the usual advice also applies:
1. Keep your OS updated with all the current patches.
2. Use a good AntiVirus program, there are plenty out there.