Mon, Mar 30, 2009

Check Your Windows PC for Conficker
At the moment, there is a piece of malicious software (a "worm") called "Conficker" (also sometimes called "Downadap" or "Downadup") running on millions of Windows PCs on the internet. It is configured to accept and execute instructions from its authors later this week (April 1st). We don't know who the authors are, and what they intend to do on April 1st, but it would be well advised to check before that date whether or not your PC is infected by Conficker, and if so, to remove it.

If you use a Windows PC, please take a moment to check to see if your PC has this software running on it, by attempting to browse the website www.mcafee.com. This is the website of McAfee Inc, a prominent manufacturer of anti-virus software. Conficker prevents the PC it is running on from browsing this site (and certain others). If you cannot browse www.mcafee.com but you can browse other sites, you may have Conficker running on your PC. Please follow the Conficker removal instructions at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962007.

For more information, see http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-088A.html.

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