“This Worm, detected as Win32/Conficker.C, is getting ready for April Fool’s Day on 1 April, although it definitely won’t be fooling around. On that day” (The Tech Herald)
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Beware the Conficker Worm. It’s no April Fool’s Joke
This 1st April it is reported that the Conficker virus will activate on computers around the world. Nobody is exactly sure what to expect from the emergence of the virus – the scale of the damage that it will cause, or the panic that it might excite- but the international technology industry is keeping a watchful eye on any developments.
According to a report published in the Tech Herald recently,
“This Worm, detected as Win32/Conficker.C, is getting ready for April Fool’s Day on 1 April, although it definitely won’t be fooling around. On that day, Conficker.C will commence its attempt to generate 50,000 URLs daily and try to access (download or report back to) 500 of them. It is a clever strategy, but the security industry is certainly on the lookout,” CA said at the time.
How does Conficker work?
A report in The Guardian, published in January 2009, described the Conficker virus as ‘the worst Windows worm for years’. Conficker is the name given to a complex algorithm that, according to technology experts, is lying dormant on around about three million PCs worldwide. When triggered the Conficker worm could prove very dangerous. It runs executable files on your computer and generates tens of thousands of new possible new domain names that it can utilise as it skips from one part of the Internet to another. Antivirus technicians say Conficker could be one of the most difficult viruses of recent years.
One news story has suggested that the virus has grown even more dangerous in the last few months. It now has developed the ability to attack antivirus software and has the potential to generate many more infected domains. Symantec have stated that the old limit of 250 infected websites has risen sharply, and now the more potent algorithm can generate something in the region of as 50,000 new domains in day.
Conficker is a complex and dangerous virus. Controlling it has become a game of cat and mouse.
How can I be sure of my online safety?
If your PC is infected with the Conficker virus, instructions for its removal can be found on Norton’s official webpage. But to ensure that you are not caught by viruses similar to the Conficker worm, you need to download relevant and robust antivirus security immediately.
One of the most effective antivirus security packages available on the Internet today is Norton’s 360 products. This defends against a broad range of online threats, safeguard against online identity theft, secures your identity, and protects important files from loss. Norton 360 is an award winning package that will lessen any online danger that might exist.
Three steps to ensure your safety:
Run a thorough virus scan on your computer (Head to the official Norton site for free tools)
Ensure that you have adequate protection for all of your online activity
Keep abreast of the latest threats by reading the Norton Security blog
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