It’s always attention getting when the venerable 60 Minutes news program covers a technological issue we handle every day at Geek Squad. This week, the program covered the continuing story of the growing Conficker Internet worm problem. (See our own previous blog entries on Conficker here and here.)
Our Geek Squad Precinct and on-site Agents continue to see more computers infected with this malicious software every day. According to the estimates provided by the CBS report, the worm has infected nearly 10 million computers worldwide.
As malicious software developers create more sophisticated malware, such as viruses and spyware, they’ve constantly improved the effectiveness of their attacks. Some new strains of malware, such as the Conficker worm, can infect systems and then wait for detailed instructions on what to do next from their creators, like a vast, silent army waiting in the dark for their signal to strike.
The dangerous threat posed by the Conficker worm won’t be fully understood until it launches into action on a system. Many tech news sites (see one story here) are talking about a possible April 1st attack. This comes from research that indicates that the worm is configured to next check for either new orders or a new version of the worm April Fool’s Day.
That’s not to say that the worm hasn’t already caused damage. The 60 Minute article also talks about how CBS spent more than 10 days of around-the-clock work with their technicians to isolate and repair infected systems at the network.
What can you do to help protect your family’s computer from the Conficker worm?
The first step is to make sure that you have up-to-date antivirus and antispyware protection on your computer. The subscription should be valid and the software set to run scans at least once a week in addition to the normal background scans performed as email or websites are accessed.
Don’t forget, however, that you will still need to exercise caution even with that software, and always be very careful about what attachments or links you’re opening from emails or messages on social networking sites, even if they appear to come from friends.
If you still have questions or concerns about the Conficker worm, or any of the other threats to your computer, you can speak to a Geek Squad Agent at Precincts located in every Best Buy, visit us online at www.geeksquad.com, or call us at 1-800 GEEK SQUAD.
UPDATE: We now have a Two Minute Miracle video discussing the Conficker worm, and what you need to think about going into April 1 tomorrow: