If you use Windows and do not have it set to automatically update, you need to run security updates TODAY to help avoid any problems with the Conficker worm. To run windows updates, simply open Internet Explorer, go to Tools, Windows Updates and follow all the prompts to update your PC.
Conficker is a worm that has infected over 10,000,000 PCs world wide but it hasn't been doing anything yet except contacting it's "host" for instructions. It is believed that on April 1st (tomorrow), the host will be giving "instructions" to PCs all over the world to do "something" but nobody knows for sure what. There is speculation that it will pull passwords out of cookies for banking sites, there is speculation that all of the PCs will be told to "attack" certain web sites, there is lots of speculation and nobody knows exactly what it will do. Conficker has prevented some people from being able to reach
www.mcafee.com and
www.symantec.com to update virus scan files or download anti-virus software.
Conficker has been infecting PCs through websites, some that we generally "trust" such as Ebay and SouthWest Airlines. It wouldn't hurt to run a full virus scan with updated virus scan files as well, but it primarily exploits a Windows security hole that is fixed with updates from Microsoft. It may bring whole corporations down as it is believed that the majority of PCs affected are actually business PCs where the IT folks do not have Windows Updates running automatically.
This is NOT a hoax.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10207852-83.html
If you've been watching news at all, you've probably heard about this. 60 Minutes did a piece about it on Sunday and all the major news networks have been warning people.
Protect yourselves folks!
ETA: The blackout of 2003 that affected the whole northeast portion of the US was caused by a similar worm that brought down the PCs that were monitoring our electrical system. I'm not typically an alarmist, but we have become so dependent on computer systems and the internet that a worm like this could do real damage. Hopefully by getting the word out, all problems will be eliminated.
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