Got Conficker? I certainly hope not!
Conficker is a form of malware that allows some unknown entity to take over your computer and do things that you’d rather not have done. It was first released last November (after the details of a Microsoft Windows vulnerability were made available). Since this threat is easily removed by applying the patch from Microsoft (NOTE: This link only works with Internet Explorer), there’s really no excuse for having an infected computer.
If the patch is readily available, then why is Conficker such a big problem?
- Because people don’t bother to patch their computer.
- Because they use illegal copies of Microsoft software and cannot patch it (there’s are many good reasons why you should pay for your software; this is just one of them).
- Because people use old operating system software that is no longer supported. The Conficker patch requires that you use Vista, XP with at least Service Pack 2, or Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4.
Let me talk a bit about outdated operating system software. Does Conficker affect computers that are still running Windows 98 and Windows ME? I don’t know, and to be honest, I doubt if Microsoft knows because they no longer support those operating systems. This means that any security vulnerabilities found in those products will not get patched (and it isn’t Microsoft that is finding any of these vulnerabilities; it is hackers and criminals). If you are still using those operating systems, you have chosen to accept this risk.
But back to Conficker — and the easy test to see if your computer is infected:
- Click here and follow the simple instructions to test your computer for Conficker.
- If certain images are not displaying (but others are), then head over to this Wikipedia article on Conficker to learn how to get rid of it. The best way is to use Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool, then install their patch. You get it all if you follow the first link in this blog post (but you’ll need to click on it in Internet Explorer for it to work).
Here’s hoping that you are Conficker-free, but if you are not, I hope that this helps you take care of the infection. And once you’ve taken care of the infection, get yourself a good, reliable anti-virus and anti-spyware solution to better protect your computer.