The Great Conficker Scare

I know viruses and worms are a genuine threat. We need to protect ourselves against them.

In my opinion, the people who create these things need to be stuck in prison, without any access to computers. That's for starters.

I looked to today with just a bit of dread because people were saying Cornficker was scheduled to do something nasty on April 1.

But here I am, still sitting at my computer, surfing the web.

My Beast PC is sitting next to me, running a routine virus/malware scan, and looking good.

I don't know what Cornficker was supposed to do, but I don't see any evidence of its work.

Maybe this was an April Fool's joke, at least in part!? (The warning about April 1.)

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Anubis on April 1, 2009 at 2:08pm: So far I haven't seen or heard much on it doing any thing. It his the Intermeidate school district near me a few weeks ago, but nothing to day xDDDDD.

-Anubis; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Edvard on April 1, 2009 at 2:10pm: Why will it be s aprils fool if Microsoft released patches and software devs are working on alot of programs... Idon't think so. Well mypc is acting normal and the system restore is working. I allso scanned with all kinds of removal tools and didn't find anyting. I guess I'm safe:); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron Knights on April 1, 2009 at 3:18pm: Maybe part of this is an April Fool's Joke?!

Someone says that we'd better watch out. On April 1, "something will happen."

Everyone gets nervous, but nothing really bad happens.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Matz Rios on April 1, 2009 at 7:06pm: yeah!!!hehe,,i really think so,,; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Travicemo on April 1, 2009 at 2:43pm: This would never have become so mainstream if the media hadn't started hyping it up they way that they did. Edvard I think what Ron is getting at about it being a April Fools Joke is the fact that this "Conficker" had millions of people scared to even turn on their computers today. People need to be prepared to handle virus's on a daily basis not just because they saw it on the news "Conficker" or any other virus out there can attack or do something any day of the year. Only reason that this happened the way it did was because of the media, other wise the general population would have never even knew it existed probably.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron Knights on April 1, 2009 at 3:21pm: "Trav," yes, you got it right.

Here's what I understand:

Most of us should be just fine if we have a legal copy of Windows, and run updated copies of our antivirus programs.

If your copy of Windows is legal, you'll get all the necessary MS Windows updates.

Your antivirus programs will get updates too.

Oh, if someone really wanted to play an April Fool's joke, or do harm, here's what they might do.

Get everyone worried about using their computers on April 1.

Launch the "real attack" the day after.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by CaySedai on April 2, 2009 at 4:41pm: or, better yet, launch the "real attack" a day or a few days before.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Warren on April 3, 2009 at 12:42pm: that's what I was thinking to myself...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan on April 30, 2009 at 11:34am: I'm, wondering how many "real attacks" could actually do anything at all. Seems like the success rate has fallen way off in the last few years.
Dan; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Warlock on April 1, 2009 at 3:20pm: well the media were even talking about it with a bounty on if you catch the lad; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Travicemo on April 1, 2009 at 3:25pm: Warlock the bounty for the author of Conficker was in effect long before this day.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cookenstein on April 1, 2009 at 6:24pm: Get everyone worked up for April 1st, and then let down their guard on April 2nd :); ▶ Reply to This