HoodaThunk?

Conficker, the worm that has compromised thousands of PC’s globally, was giving everyone a fit on April 1, the date experts said it was destined to fire. That date came and went with nothing happening so the subject just fell from the public radar. Well, it’s coming back on the screen now that it appears to be activating:

A malicious software program known as Conficker that many feared would wreak havoc on April 1 is slowly being activated, weeks after being dismissed as a false alarm, security experts said.

Conficker, also known as Downadup or Kido, is quietly turning thousands of personal computers into servers of e-mail spam and installing spyware, they said.

Folks, you have to follow a few simple rules to protect yourself out here. First, make sure your system is updated. Microsoft put out a patch to Windows that neutralized Conficker back in October of 2008. If you’re up to date on that patch, you should be fine.

Second, keep your PC’s firewall up and the anti-virus software updated. Yes, you need both.

Third, exercise caution in what programs you install on your machine. Yes, buying anti-virus and anti-spyware software from the store or from the major players in those spaces is more expensive. It’s also less likely to contain unpleasant surprises.