More Information About Conficker.c Virus

More Information About Conficker.c Virus

Do you remember the "millennium bug?" Do you remember how computers acted when their clocks turned to January 1, 2000?

Researchers are hoping that a potential April Fool's time bomb -- the Conficker.c that is supposed to hit computers on April 1 -- turns out to be equally unfounded. Here some questions & answes that will help everyone to know more about virus.

Q. What will happen on 1 April 2009?

According to Microsoft, systems will infect with the latest version of Conficker. It is possible that infected systems may auto-update themselves with a new version by contacting a new site on the list. However, Microsoft say that these systems could also update themselves before or after 1 April by using Conficker's peer to peer technology.

Q. How do I know if I have been infected?

A rather basic test is to try and log onto an anti-virus website. Conficker blocks many of these sites in an attempt to keep users in the dark.

Q. How will it spread?

Conficker spreads itself across a network by exploiting a vulnerability in the Windows Server service. Microsoft have released a security update - MS08-067 - which closes that vulnerability, but as later forms of the virus can also spread via portable devices (such as memory sticks) this alone will not give you full protection.

Q. What can I do to protect myself?

Anti virus protection for your computer is essential and almost every piece of anti-virus software will keep you safe. However, this requires that you not only install the software, but keep it up to date. Most anti-virus packages offer an auto-updating feature, however it is worth checking when an update was last performed and, if necessary, forcing it to perform a current update.

Q. What other issues are there?

Conficker contains a password-cracking program that can break simple passwords, for example: 5678, blog etc - along with simple numeric passwords and birthdays.

Passwords are classified as weak, moderate, or strong - depending on how easy they are to crack.

An ideal password, which would be very hard to break, should contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and should be a minimum of six characters long.

Microsoft have also advised that users should disable the AutoPlay feature in Windows. This is to prevent viral code activating if a CD-ROM or USB device or other media containing an Autorun.inf file is plugged into the computer.

Conficker.c Will Attack PC On April Fool's Day

Conficker.c Will Attack PC On April Fool's Day

Do you remember the "millennium bug?" Do you remember how computers acted when their clocks turned to January 1, 2000?


Researchers are hoping that a potential April Fool's time bomb -- the Conficker.c that is supposed to hit computers on April 1 -- turns out to be equally unfounded.


What is Conficker.c and what kind of damage it will do?


Conficker.c is a kind of worm. It has a malicious program. It already affected between 5 million and 10 million computers.Although these infections haven't spread for many reasons, but on April 1 a master computer is scheduled to gain control of these zombie machines.


What happens on April Fool's Day?


The program might delete all of the files on a person's computer -- those controlled by a master computer -- to overwhelm and shut down Web sites or monitor a person's keyboard strokes to collect private information like passwords or bank account information, experts said.


Who is the author of the program?


It's not clear who wrote the program, but researchers thought that a group calling itself the Conficker Cabal. The researchers also said, "Unless they open their mouth, they'll never be found,"


How can u be sure that your computer infected?


One quick way to see if your computer has been infected is to see if you have gotten automatic updates from Windows in March. If so, your computer likely is fine


Microsoft company said,"Users who haven't gotten the latest Windows updates should go to http://safety.live.com if they fear they're infected".


People who use other latest antivirus software could have been also disabled by Conficker.c.


How did the worm evolve?


Conficker -- strain A -- was released in late 2008. Now it is stronger as ever. The Conficker, strain C, will generate 50,000 URLs per day instead of just 250 when it becomes active.


What is being done to defeat Conficker?

Members of Microsoft are searching for the malicious software program's author and how to to do damage control.

They're motivated in part by a $250,000 bounty from Microsoft.

Marko Calason ,The Youngest IT Professional

Marko Calason ,The Youngest IT Professional

IT's always been known that young children are very good with technology. They can program electronic devices that make adults pay money but leave baffled as how to use. But one particular young person has taken the mastery of electronics to new heights. Marko Calasan, from Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, has become the world's youngest certified computer system administrator.

"I'd like to be a computer scientist when I grow up and create a new operational system," he said.

Marko, whose favourite subject at school is mathematics, learnt to read and write at the age of two, which was when his interest in computers began.

The news of his achievement has turned him into a celebrity in Macedonia.

His mother Radica, 37, said that her son displayed "exceptional learning abilities at a very early age" and that she and her husband, who run a computer school, call on Marko to help solve technical problems when they crop up.

"He is obviously extraordinary gifted, but children above the age of six could learn much more about computers than generally assumed," she said.

Marko is also fascinated by physics and astronomy and struggled to sleep the night before the launch of the Big Bang experiment at the underground facility of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Switzerland.

Marko said: "The media said it could cause the end of the world, but there was never any danger of that."