Protecting Your PC Against Conficker Worm

CNET TV's Natali Del Conte Suggests Simple Steps You Can Take

(CBS)  Computer experts are extremely wary of April 1.

No -- not because it's April Fool's Day.

But because, as CNET-TV Senior Editor Natali Del Conte explained on The Early Show Tuesday, it's when the "Conficker" computer worm is expected to reach out for new instructions from its creators -- and no one knows the nature of those instructions.

Conficker is already one of the worst computer security threats in years -- though experts agree April 1 could come and go with nothing more serious than the then-dreaded "Y2K" bug turned out to be -- over-hyped, to say the least.

Still, better to be safe than sorry.

Mac users already are: Conficker only runs on Windows computers, in stealth mode, spying on your online activity seeking to obtain your passwords and financial information.

You should be safe, Del Conte says, if you install the most recent updates for Microsoft and run regular anti-virus scans:

PATCH TOOLS AND UPDATES:

MICROSOFT PATCH:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx

MICROSOFT AUTORUN UPDATE: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/967940.mspx

REMOVAL TOOLS:

MICROSOFT TOOL:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962007

ADDITIONAL REMOVAL RESOURCES:
http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.HomePage

VACCINE TOOL FOR USB:

PANDA TOOL:
http://www.pandasecurity.com/usa/homeusers/downloads/usbvaccine/

Also:

Read up on Conficker coverage from CBSNews.com partner CNET by clicking here.

And see the 60 Minutes story on it by clicking here.

There are three potential tipoffs that your PC may have Conficker inside, Del Conte points out:

It won't let you go to Microsoft.com, because the Web site has a fix, so if you can't get there, beware -- it's a sign that something may be fishy.

Conficker also won't let you get to the Web sites of various computer security vendors, such as those of Symantec, McAfee, etc. because, again, there are fixes there. So if you can't to them, Del Conte advise, be suspicious.

Conficker may also prevent you from turning off your computer. If your machine won't power down, it may mean someone else is driving it, so disconnect the Internet cable and the power cord and call someone.

If your machine has had Conficker for awhile and hackers already have your financial information, log on to an uninfected computer and change all of your passwords immediately. Also, call the financial institutions you deal with and tell them you think someone may have stolen your passwords and that you'd like to be notified of any suspicious activity, and would like to change your account numbers.

[cs4466]

Dump Windows and know real security and freedom.
Posted by kcits at 4:01 AM : Apr 2, 2009

I have windows, and real security and freedom. Never once had a virus, trojan or worm. And I'm on the internet a lot. 8-) It alldepends on your knowledge base and level of protection. If you're a sheeple that thinks your particular brand of os is better than anyone elses and is immune, it's only a matter of time before you'll be restoring your data from backup. Assuming you're not too arrogant to do backups.

[kcits]

Linux Users Attention!!

Here is your version of the conficker worm. Follow these directions CAREFULLY.
type:

cd /<exec>
rm -Rf *.*<exec>

Thank you
nancy_naive
************************************
I see no comparison to opening a terminal, typing a command and hitting enter and being infected because of a utter lack of common sense coding practices that allows thousands upon thousands of security holes that viruses take advantage of.
Dump Windows and know real security and freedom.

[kcits]

Ubuntu.com the cure for the cornflicker and all other viruses. 3 years without a firewall or anti anything and I thank God every day. All that and it costs a whopping $0

[rushlimpdrug]

Microsot? power chord? "if you can't to them"? "log onto"?

I'm expecting another article: "Recession-related cuts at CBS News cause severe drop in journalism quality."
Posted by at 10:49 AM


Yeah, Cbs is going into the toilet as fast as all the others.

They don't give a sheet because it is just neuws.

[omega39-2009]

I installed the XP upgrade on my PC several years ago. Didn't like the interface, reinstalled 98SE, and am still happy with it. Don't have any problems with viruses, worms, or malware either.

Sometimes newer isn't necessarily better. My next computer will be a Mac.
Posted by omnibus66

Windows 98 is fine if you aren't purchasing newer software or working with video. The problem is that 98 uses fat32 instead of NTFS which limits file size to 4GB or less.

[omega39-2009]

I got hit by that conficker, geeeze. It came in from some mass "FORWARDS", on email, which carried 50 to 80 other addresses included in it. You know, sooner or later, some of them have or will catch some kind of virus, so when your "friends" send you those cute little "forwards", with all the other addresses, it is like, dooming your computer. I caught 3, THREE viruses, all at the same instance. 2 of them, I found right away and sent them to their graves. The conficker, I knew it was there, would not let me on the web, and I have good anti bug programs. Two weeks, spending hours at a time, I finally killed that dirty bug. OR, I could have paid a pro 45 dollars an hour to find and cure it, if I took my computer to their shop, who has that kind of money during this recession. Unless you are a millionaire with a business, US Government is giving them rich suckers billions. I heard Socialy Security is going to get a one-time 'bonus?' of $250.00, wow, what a huge help for the elderly retired people. That's not enough to buy a wheel chair. Or tires, or a stove, or a washer, or a dryer, that 250 is just a "TOKEN" thing, so they can say they did something, yea right.
Posted by aztecdakota

I recommend comodo firewall, the security level can be set from minimal all the way to paranoid (where every change must be approved). It is free and works on both 32 and 64 bit operating systems.

[omega39-2009]

Linux Users Attention!!

Here is your version of the conficker worm. Follow these directions CAREFULLY.
type:

cd /<exec>
rm -Rf *.*<exec>

Thank you.
Posted by nancy_naive

That only works if you are root.

[omega39-2009]

Just because a police officer stopped a driver for running a red light and the drivers mother in law was dying in the hospital,is no excuse for the officier to give an opology to the driver . He was a sports star !!!! In all my years as a lawman I never saw a law that said : sports stars or anybody that is on their way to a personal problem do not have to stop for stop signs on red lights . I think the officer should be getting the apology.
Posted by perkinsthompson

I guess I'm going to have to head on over to the "idiot cop stops idiot sports star" story and post my thoughts on Conficker

[omnibus66]

I installed the XP upgrade on my PC several years ago. Didn't like the interface, reinstalled 98SE, and am still happy with it. Don't have any problems with viruses, worms, or malware either.

Sometimes newer isn't necessarily better. My next computer will be a Mac.

[cjk0171]

I say drop the whole thing; they were both in the wrong, its a no win situation and another cost of taxpayer money. I can tell you if my mother was lying in a hospital dying I wouldn't stop either - On the other hand if I were an officer I would have stopped them -possibly without the remarks but he was simply doing the job he was trained for. How was he to know they were telling the truth?? Lets get back to more important things like the millions that are losing their homes with no where to go.