The Conficker Worm
The Conficker worm, also known as Kido or Downadup worm is one of the greatest threats Internet users and corporations are facing today.
Conficker worm has been confirmed to have infected millions of computers around the world without any visible symptoms. The infection has been spreading since January 2009 and the Conficker Worm beginning on April 1st will use a communications system allowing remote hackers to manipulate its code and perform remote actions on affected machines.
However, all customers with valid subscription for their Norton 360 Version 3.0, Norton Internet Security 2009, and Norton AntiVirus 2009 are protected against the Conficker Worm.
If you are unsure which version you own or you would like to upgrade your Norton to the latest version, please use this link.
Further Information about the Conficker Worm
Why is the Conficker Worm harmful?
The Conficker Worm has been around since January 2009 and has managed to infect millions of computers worldwide without their owners even knowing about the danger. Until April 1st, 2009, the Conficker Worm was in a "sleeping state" doing no harm to the infected machines and giving no visible signs of its activity.
However, the Conficker Worm allows remote hackers and cybercriminals to install malicious software on infected computers. This could turn your computer into a "zombie", connecting it to a large network of other infected machines, creating a "botnet" that could be used to conduct online crime, harassment, money and identity theft and to perform other dubious activities such as sending spam.
Once infected with the Conficker, it will attempt to disable the security software you may have and to turn off firewall and other security services running on a Windows machine. Besides, this malware will block access to the most popular security websites that can be used to download the cure against it. For example the website www.symantec.com is blocked and inaccessible for all Conficker-infected machines.
The Conficker Worm also tries to spread the infection across the network you are connecting to, searching for vulnerable machines and dropping the infection.
How can I get infected by the Conficker Worm?
The Downadup worm attempts to exploit the Windows flaw described in the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067.
The worm installs quietly on a vulnerable machine, so that users won't even notice when the computer is compromised. The worm also attempts to spread the infection across all connected network devices and removable media such as USB memory sticks.
How do I protect my computer from the Conficker Worm?
- In order to say safe from the Downadup worm you should download and install a good anti-worm security application such as Norton 360 Version 3.0, Norton Internet Security 2009, or Norton AntiVirus 2009.
Current Norton customers who own the above listed products are already protected.
- Don’t attempt to use "free" online security scans that can be found on many websites. Often these websites are fake, pretending to be legitimate anti-virus sites, when in fact, may may often be used to spread infections while you run them. Avoid such websites and purchase your anti-virus programs only from well-known and trusted antivirus software suppliers.
- Periodically run the memory and filesystem scans using your installed antivirus application
- Turn off the "autorun" facility that automatically runs software stored on removable media while you connect them