What you need to know about the Conficker Worm

What You Need to Know About Conficker and How to Avoid Being a Victim | Maximum PC

This article (link above) contains a lot of useful information about the Conficker Worm.

Basic things you need to know:
- If your computer is running Windows (modern versions), it is possible for your computer to become infected
- If you have been getting regular Windows Updates and you have the latest (March 2009) updates, you should be safe.
- Make sure to keep your anti-virus program up to date
- If you cannot get Windows updates, and you cannot visit real anti-virus sites, you may be infected (as the worm blocks these things)

[UPDATE: for an easy test to see if you are infected, go to this infection test link.]

Here is the Microsoft site with specific security patches (which you should already have via Windows Automatic Update, unless you were infected a while ago) for this worm:
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067 – Critical

Am I Infected (and if so, how do I get rid of it)?
Here are 2 detection and removal tools:
If you can't get to these sites to get these tools, then there is a good chance you are infected. Download these tools using another computer and copy them onto your infected computer.


1) The latest Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
You can get this from Windows Automatic Updates, or, download it on another computer from here , and then copy it onto your computer and run it.

2) Symantec's (Norton) removal tool
W32.Downadup Removal Tool


When done, if you were infected, re-connect to the Internet and see if you can get Windows updates again - if so, make sure you get all the critical updates.

More information on the Conficker worm here:
Protect yourself from the Conficker computer worm
Virus alert about the Win32/Conficker.B worm
DHS Releases Conficker/Downadup Computer Worm Detection Tool
Conficker Doomsday Worm Sells Out for $49.95