Vista - Conficker Apocalypse

One day it won't be a joke. It was a good practice session for patching workstations and servers. Getting users to be aware of going to sites that they could get an infection from. My users are learning the importance of safe computing and keeping Windows updates current.

Could it actually be serious? Not too sure if perhaps this is just an Aprils fools joke. None the less, i know not to much about it...simply what i've heard on the news. I hear they don't even know where its coming from, so good luck to stopping it.

Make sure you get your antivirus updated asap...otherwise we'll be seeing many in the black hole.

LOL I am running about 5 anti-virus programs / firewalls in addition to the prebuilt Windows ones. I think I should be good. Plus, I heard that if you can access major Anti-Virus sites, such as Kaspersky, Norton, Macafee, then you are NOT infected... *checks*
I'm good.

~Lordbob

Like I said in the other thread, what happened to my comp at the weekend was a few symptons that occur on a Conficker infected PC.

It was my own fault I guess as I had UAC turned off for the last few weeks and even with a firewall and AV that I always keep active it still somehow got on, and turning UAC off did teach me a lesson.

I guess everyone else who says "Disable UAC is the first thing I do" are certainly going to be taught a lesson if all this is true as well.

Yeah I even left mine turned on....

~Lordbob

Apparently the virus did try to fire up, but all the security companies said they managed to block everything so far, read it here The Associated Press: Conficker worm reaches go time, to no effect

well then thats good news eh

That is the scary part. Has been some years since Windows update became a set and forget feature, but seems to me most of the times you see "threats" hit frontpage they rely on unpatched this or that, mostly Windows Just sad. Piracy probably play a big part in this of course. Remember banner infection on MySpace some years ago? Same thing, only hit those with no updates (free Windows). Headline should be "Badly maintained OS once again proven to be risky"

Ive seen security geeks advise to disable Windows Update because regular users are not capable of evaluating auto-input from Microsoft, and so risk blowing up OS by blindly accepting installations. Hmm, and alternative is what? heh. If no trust in OS maker use something else. May be 100% user control make sense in business networks but does not mean each update should not be evaluated. Where some lazy/wiser than everyone else have failed I think.

Speaking of that, I am going to make sure I am updated...

~Lordbob

I told a heap of people at school about the conficker, not only did they not know what the conficker was,they don't have any antivirus software or know anything about computers(all they know how to do is how to use social networking sites and they spend hours on them.).

PEOPLE NEED TO GET EDUCATED ABOUT HOW TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE ON THE NET.

Can't antivirus companys just capture the conficker then read the code.(or is it encrypted etc.)





FT.com / US & Canada - Efforts to fight cyber-crime fall short to virus