Tech Scamps

The Conficker Working Group, a group of companies, agencies and organizations with an interest in putting a stop to the Conficker Worm, has a great little tool for quickly testing weather you have one of the three versions of Conficker.

Click on the image of the Conficker Eye Chart and it will present a page with six images. If any of the top row of images does not load then you might have a problem with Conficker.

Visit the site for a better explanation.

It’s too bad that every virus or worm wouldn’t provide a simple means like this for their detection. So make sure your operating system stays up-to-date and that you run an up-to-date anti-virus protection. And don’t install crap!

Of course, if you are on a Mac or Linux computer then you wont have a problem at all. At least not with Conficker.

Michael Johnson Security anti-virus, Conficker, Security, virus, Windows

Unless you have been living under a rock, then you’ve heard about the Conficker worm and that it’s expected to start communicating with other computers on the Internet on April 1, 2009. Tomorrow! It’s not clear what to expect but the hype is growing. The following is a list of links if you are looking for more info or help.

• Conficker article at Wikipedia – Lot’s of good information and many citations to good sources.
• Protect Yourself from the Conficker Computer Worm – Microsoft’s web page on Conficker.
• FAQ: Conficker time bomb ticks, but don’t expect boom – CNET’s explanation on what to expect.
• The Conficker Worm at Symantec – Info and removal tool.
• Sophos on Conficker – Info and details.
• Sophos Conficker clean-up tools – Both a standalone and network removal tool.

So if you think you are in trouble then check these links out. But whatever you think, you should always maintain an up-to-date computer, with up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware tools. Be careful what you agree to when you get a pop-up from the internet.

Stay safe and happy computing!

Michael Johnson Security Conficker, Microsoft, Security, virus, Worm