Conficker - why all the concern?
Posted by Denis Cullinane on April 06, 2009 in Online, Web technologies with 0 CommentsApril 1st, the Conficker worm's much publicised trigger date, has come and gone, and the Internet has not imploded.
It seems that the 'Internet Armageddon' prophecies have been somewhat overcooked. The 'unthinkable disaster' thankfully has not yet materialised.
So, what was all the fuss about? Has this just been an over-elaborate April fool's hoax? Can we really believe the hype that has been generated by the mainstream media and the anti-virus companies? Should we take this threat seriously? Microsoft certainly think so - they are currently offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whom ever is responsible for the Conficker worm. Security specialists share this belief and are warning that the threat is far from over as Conficker continues to call home for its latest instructions. April 1st saw Conficker evolving to make itself harder to eradicate, as it begun actively connecting to 500 URLs a day out of a group 50,000 seemingly random domains around the world, looking to receive a new set of instructions on how to behave. The truth is that nobody knows what, if anything, Conficker will do next.
What is Conficker?
Conficker is a worm that targets the Microsoft Windows OS. Discovered back in October 2008, Conficker is believed to be the most widespread computer worm infection since SQL Slammer in 2003. So far, it is thought to have infected well over 10 million computers worldwide. It's likely that Conficker worm is designed to create a botnet (network of software robots that run autonomously and automatically on compromised computers, usually installed via worms or Trojan horses). This could be used to launch denial-of-service attacks to shut down websites or steal personal data from comprimised computers. The botnet could be used to attack large scale networks, commit identity theft, or dump massive amounts of spam in our inboxes. Security experts warn that all Windows users must make sure their operating system and anti-virus programs are up-to-date with the latest patches and virus protections. So far, Windows is the only operating system known to be vulnerable to Conficker.
Are you at risk?
Users whose computers are not configured to receive patches and updates from Microsoft and who are not running an up-to-date anti-virus product are most at risk. Users who do not have a genuine version of Windows from Microsoft are most at risk since pirated systems usually cannot get Microsoft updates and patches.
Don't believe the hype...Well not all of it anyway!
Many technology watchers are now questioning the media frenzy that has materialised in recent weeks. Nobody is denying that Conficker is a reality and that it may yet cause the 'unthinkable' but it has certainly thrown up quite a number of questions about the levels of hype and scaremongering that have been pushed by anti-virus companies in particular. It has re-opened the debate surrounding the wider responsibilities that Anti virus companies have. It seems that there is a fine line between informing users of potential threats and deliberately adding to the consternation in order to sell their products. Many conspiracy theorists have pointed out that both Symantec and McAfee stocks are both up 20% for month of March.
In an ironic twist, the hype has created another issue - the proliferation of scareware - as users download free Conficker removal tools themselves infected with malware - or purchasing useless software that corrects non-existent issues by offering fake anti-virus fixes.
So life goes on for us all. Nothing much has changed - Windows users can still look forward to the endless cycle of security patches and anti-virus checks while forever fine-tuning their ever-bloated registry entries.....as their Mac using cousins look smugly-on.
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