There has been a bit of controversy about the validity of the threat of this worm, but regardless, the basic measures needed to prevent this is something all users should do anyway.
In an event that hits the computer world only once every few years, security experts are racing against time to mitigate the impact of a bit of malware which is set to wreak havoc on a hard-coded date. As is often the case, that date is April 1.
Malware creators love to target April Fool's Day with their wares, and the latest worm, called Conficker C, could be one of the most damaging attacks we've seen in years.
Conficker first bubbled up in late 2008 and began making headlines in January as known infections topped 9 million computers. Now in its third variant, Conficker C, the worm has grown incredibly complicated, powerful, and virulent... though no one is quite sure exactly what it will do when D-Day arrives.
What do you need to do?
- Make sure Windows is fully updated.
- Make sure your anti-virus is up to date, and run a complete scan. Microsoft also has a free Live OneCare scanner available.