April Fool's Day Virus Threat Not So Funny
A new virus threat may be targeting computers April 1, 2009. The Conficker C worm is thought to have infected 5-10 million computers since Nov. 2008. Those infections have NOT resulted in symptoms yet but that may change on April 1 when infected machines may experience problems.
It's quite possible that Conficker will not do anything significant on April 1st. Certainly it won't be "deadly" and your computers won't melt. :-)
The fact of the matter is that Conficker is not set to activate a specific payload on that date. Rather, Conficker will begin to attempt to contact the 50,000-a-day potential call-home web servers from which it may receive updates.
Regardless, AU employees and students are cautioned to protect their computer from threats like the Conficker worm by keeping their Windows Updates and Virus protection software current.
- Confirm that your Windows Updates are current - (Microsoft Patch for this Virus)
- Check to be sure you've received the latest Sophos virus scan update
- Right-click the Sophos icon in the tray
- Select "Update Now"
- Confirm that your Sophos auto scans are actually running
- Make sure you have a strong password
- If you have the Conficker virus, run this removal tool
For more information visit the OIT Security Center or contact your IT provider. Microsoft "is actively working with the industry to mitigate the spread of the worm" and has reportedly offered a $250,000 reward to those who may have information leading to the worms source or author.
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