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[Dudette]

If you use a Windows PC, you need to read this, and take some action.

There is a Worm called Conficker which has been installing itself in Windows PCs for the last 5 months, exploiting an unpatched vulnerability. It is set to fire off on April 1, when all of the infected machines will try to link themselves together into a "bot-net" that can be used to attack the Internet infrastructure.

At the very least, it is likely to cause a lot of Internet disruption on that day, and it's not clear what other mischief it may be up to. IF you have a Windows PC, have been accepting the Microsoft security updates as they are released, AND have good virus-scanning software that is always on and updated weekly, you are probably OK.

But if you haven't, or you are unsure, here's where to go:

McAfee has created a specific virus removal tool for the Conficker virus. You will find it on this page:
http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/conficker.html

In the top of the right-hand column on that page is a link that looks like this:


Click the link (on the McAfee page, not here) to download the program. When it prompts you, save the file to a convenient location where you can find it (like your desktop):


BEFORE you run it, you will want to turn off your System Restore. You're doing this so that if you do have a virus, it isn't backed up and then restored later. This page shows you exactly how to do it, with pictures, for each Windows version that is affected: http://download.nai.com/products/mcafee-avert/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm

After you have turned off the System Restore, double-click on the program you downloaded from McAfee, which will run the program. When it has finished, note down what it tells you. You can then turn your System Restore back on. This is not an anti-virus program for everything, but something McAfee has set up specifically for this Conficker virus. It doesn't take the place of real virus protection kept up to date.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-067.mspx -- this will give you the security update to download and install the patch for your version of Windows, to correct the vulnerability that lets Conficker in. You do this after you have run the McAfee program, because if you have Conficker, it keeps the patch from being installed (even those it will tell you that it is). Even if you don't have Conficker, you should install this patch. If you have been accepting the security updates each week from Microsoft, it is probably already installed, but much better to be safe and make sure.

On the Microsoft part, if you have any questions, there is a toll-free number you can call: 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates.

If you have a Mac....
... congratulate yourself on how smart you were to make that choice. Conficker is not a threat to you, because it cannot run on non-Windows computers.

If you have questions, please post them in our Windows Virus Protection & Questions in our Tech Talk category.

UPDATE - 3/31 - As I am following the tech discussions, no one knows for certain what the worm will do on April 1 (what it has planned). Someone also pointed out that we don't know what it will do on April 2 or April 5 or following days, either, but it could be more. Bottom line - this problem doesn't go away after April 1.

Dudette