The Conficker worm (or is it Conflicker, no-one seems quite sure), did not wreak the havoc expected of it on the first day of April and many are now saying that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax, or, at the very least, a media scare story.

But, for others, the panic was justified. The Conficker worm does exist and has already affected many millions of computers. And if anything, at least the scare provoked many people into getting protection for their computers.

And for those that think it was all over played, then lets just remind ourselves what the Conficker is capable of. It’s a very invidious piece of malware which can effectively sit on your computer and when activated, will allow another pieces of software to be loaded which will then take control of your computer. It starts by deactivating your security programme and prevents it from getting crucial updates.

It will then install programmes which do a number of nefarious things. It might track your bank balance, or once you pay online for something, it might send off your credit card details to a person who will then start using it themselves. And once on your computer, it will await instructions from its creator, who will update it via thousands of random web addresses. And for a lot of people, they won’t even realise that they have a problem, as the worm will sit there, biding its time before it can inflict maximum damage.

Let’s not kid ourselves, the Conficker is a true technological parasite.

Yet incredibly, recent reports show that in the U.S. for example, nearly 20% of business computers remain unprotected against viruses.

Microsoft have quickly offered updates and patches to help close the hole that the Conficker was exploiting, but what worries many is that the worm loves networked computers and once in, can quickly work its way to thousands of machines which are linked together. The major concern is that the Conficker could be sitting in the networks of many large corporations, waiting for a key moment to strike. Imagine if a major utility was seriously struck by such a worm, the results could be catastrophic.

So, lets not be complacent. The Conficker is not a media creation. The Conficker is a clever, parasitic worm which is out to rob you. So, if you panicked after all the media stories, then good, because if you ignore it, you might see the results as someone clears out your bank account, or enjoys a spending free on your credit card.

Always run a reputable anti-virus programme. Never surf, email, or network without protection. It’s that simple.

But don’t let the scare-mongers fool you into buying free, or cheap anti-virus programme from a company you do not know. This, for many industry experts, was the true intention behind the Conficker scare stories. Get people worried, then offer them bogus anti-virus software which does the same as the Conficker. Don’t be fooled by that one. Use companies you know and pay a decent whack for your security.

Don’t let the Conficker make a fool out of you.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

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