The Conficker Worm - What it Is, How to Know if You Have it, and How to Get Rid of It - 11,874 Views, 5 Comments
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The Conficker worm or Conficker virus (also known as Downadup or W32/Downadup), which has been in the news a lot lately, is currently estimated to have infected more than 9 million Windows computers the world over, and continues to spread at an alarming rate. With a $250,000 bounty on its head offered by Microsoft, and set to activate on April 1st, nobody yet knows what the millions of PCs infected by the Conficker worm will be ordered to do, but it’s a sure bet that if and when it happens, it will be nasty. Fortunately there are ways to combat it and even some free Conficker removal tools. The Conficker worm is so virulent that in a space of three days it tripled its footprint, going from 3million to more than 9million infected PCs. So how do you know if your computer is infected with Conficker and, more importantly, what should you do if it is? If you aren’t already running anti-virus (AV or A/V) software on your Windows PC - and keeping it upt to date - you should be, and that’s the first thing to do. All major providers of AV software have anti-Conficker capabilities. These will both detect, and remove the Conficker worm. In addition, several security companies are offering free stand-alone anti-Conficker products. These include F-Secure, Symantec and BitDefender (see below for links). Finally, Microsoft has a full page dedicated to the Conficker Worm, including what it is, what it does, how to remove it and, above all, how to avoid getting it in the first place. It all starts with applying this Microsoft patch. Here are the links to the various free anti-Conficker products from F-Secure, BidDefender and Symantec: F-Secure Conficker Worm (Downadup) Removal Tool
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Symantec Conficker (Downadup) Worm Removal Tool
BitDefender Conficker (Downadup Worm) Removal Tool
The Conficker Worm - What it Is, How to Know if You Have it, and How to Get Rid of It
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Previous Article « Massive Website Censorship Blacklist Compiled by Australia Leaked and Posted Here
Read Next Article » Comcast Offers ‘Boss Button’ to Hide Watching March Madness Basketball at Work
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» How Do You Know if you Have the Conficker Worm? Use This Handy Chart!
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For additional similar stories check out our archives on Microsoft, Virus & AntiVirus, Windows, Worms
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Hi,
Good article. Sophos’ Conficker removal tool can detect and remove all variants of the worm/virus.
As long as people run these tools it should stop any serious outbreak.
James
Comment by James — 3/24/2009 @ 10:23 am
James — 3/24/2009 @ 10:23 am said “As long as people run these tools it should stop any serious outbreak.”
But that’s the real trick isn’t it? These viruses count on people not bothering to have & run anti virus software or keeping it up to date. Its the lazy, irresponsible, ill informed and generally computer ignorant unwashed masses that allow these thing to get to infection numbers like 9 million and there by cause such havoc for the rest of us! Most of them will not care or even check until after they are infected and probably better than half will remain clueless as to their infection until informed by a third party.
Even worse yet MOST of those people will not learn anything form the experience and will repeat it again & again to the detriment of the rest of us.
Comment by S. Phibber McGee — 3/27/2009 @ 7:13 am
In regards to S. Phibber McGee:
There is no known cure for stupid and apathy.
Comment by Hal — 3/27/2009 @ 7:44 am
S.P.M. and Hal: truer words have never been written.
Comment by Antonio — 3/27/2009 @ 12:32 pm
Man, I’ve never gotten a virus. Ever.
A reasonably computer-savvy and cautious person should really never get one, and catch it if they do.
Comment by J — 3/30/2009 @ 3:19 pm