What is Conficker?
Conficker or sometimes referred to as Conflicker, Downadup, or Kido, and is one of the most amazing worms to enter into the world of pc viruses. Here’s why. It hasn’t shown it’s true purpose…YET. Right now all anyone knows about Conficker (conflicker) is that it has the ability to find, figure out, and/or decrypt your passwords. It has the ability to immediately attach itself to external hard drives as well. Why is this important to know? Because of updates.
Security updates from Windows come out after a security hole has been found. Once Microsoft figures out how to plug the hole it issues an update. And that’s great, but conficker thought of this already. And so it hides itself anywhere it can write it’s code to. Such as an external hard drive. Now maybe you have the update, but that doesn’t matter since conficker is still there hooked up to an external hd, or usb flash drive just waiting. Now take that flash drive anywhere where the security hole is not patched up and conficker can do it’s thing again. Such as send your passwords, or data to any place it wants, self update itself to further exploit new holes in security that Microsoft hasn’t figured out yet. Now you’ve just transferred conficker to another computer, plus when you take your external hd or flash drive back home, and plug it in, not worried because you have the latest security update, conflicker sits back and goes to work again on your computer because it self updated itself and now found a way around your computer again, doing as it pleases. BUT WHAT IS IT DOING? That very question is frustrating many security experts!
This worms has spread to well over 11 million PC’s, business and personal computers, theoretically it will grow to over 350 million pcs. Why? Because people are not updating with the latest security patch. And in all reality there will always be a computer out there that is not completely patched up. So even if all the security patches on every computer in the world, except one is updated, if conflicker can find that one computer it can self update itself, and when you bring that usb hard drive back to your computer the cycle starts over.
Technically speaking, the conflicker (conficker) worm hasn’t really caused any damage yet, it’s just keeps spreading, and spreading, and spreading some more, awaiting further commands for what could be described as the “big attack”. As long as there are unprotected computers out there, the worm will never stop.
How does conficker discover your passwords? That’s the easy part. People, far and in-between, rarely use secure passwords. Usually it’s their dogs name, a birthday, family member name, something very very easy to figure out. Once conficker is in your system it starts searching your computer, through it’s data, discovering names, bdays, events, and so forth. It then applies those names as potential passwords and goes to work, and it’s sad to say, but usually the worm does it’s job very effectively and gets the password. So even though, right now, Conficker hasn’t done any serious damage, it doesn’t mean it’s not coming, for all anyone really knows, it may be doing something that the security experts just haven’t figured out yet. That’s what’s so scary about conflicker.
You may say “How do I get rid of conficker once and for all off my computer and never allow it to return?” This particular worm may take more than a spyware blockers or anti virus program to begin with to get rid of it. But, there are ways…FREE WAYS. And it’s easier then you think, and I’ll show you how.
Click here for free ways to get rid of conficker.