Conficker.C Protection and Cleanup

If the Koobface news from last week wasn’t enough to start you updating your antivirus software, news that a new variant on the Conficker worm is rearing its head should. This map from Team Cymru shows its effects on the world’s PCs.

There are two things you need to do: make sure that your systems are up-to-date on Microsoft Security Updates and make sure that your antivirus systems are covering you.

Here’s a quick summary of what you can do:

• Update your Windows systems manually if they are not set to automatically update.
• Make sure your antivirus software is also updated. After it is, a full scan is a good idea. Scan removable media like USB drives too.
• Get a second opinion if you can. Try an online virus scanner or a scan-only product.
• Strong passwords are recommended, but they don’t prevent infections.
• A software firewall can be a pain in the butt to tweak and overkill for the common user, but traveling users who rely on WiFi should really consider using something stronger than Windows built-in firewall.

And as with Koobface, Mac and Linux users are exempt from this paranoia. As a follow-up to this, CNET has a good overview of where Conficker came from and what it can do.