PC Security- more about Conficker

From PC World

Conficker's first scam revealed

The new Conficker has also started to exhibit signs of traditional malware. Using one of the oldest tricks in the book, called scareware, the new Conficker C downloads a fake antivirus program called Spyware Protect 2009 (pictured). (F-Secure says it's called Spyware Guard 2008. )The fake program then delivers a pop-up message telling you that your computer is infected, but for only $49.95 the fake antivirus program can remove the malware. You are then directed to a bogus website where you unwittingly enter all your credit card information and then the criminals are laughing all the way to the bank -- your bank, that is. The scareware scam seems to be coming from a server in the Ukraine, according to the Washington Post.

Conficker: Spambot in disguise?

Conficker, being a tricky little piece of programming, seems to be connected in some way to the Waledac worm -- and Waledac itself is considered to be an update of the Storm Worm. There is no consensus about what Conficker is actually doing, but according to the security firm F-Secure, Conficker is going to a domain known to be associated with Waledac and actually downloading the Waledac worm. Trend Micro, meanwhile, says Conficker is downloading some code from the Waledac domain, but the security firm wants to do further studies before confirming a Conficker-Waledac connection. However, Trend Micro suggests that Conficker may be getting ready to work as a large-scale spamming botnet, a known function of the Waledac worm.

Conficker: More than meets the eye

Apparently the new Conficker has more tricks up its sleeve that researchers have yet to uncover. While security teams try to uncover all of Conficker's latest tricks and tweaks, they do know that Conficker is awake and the worm's authors are beginning to use Conficker-infected machines to make money. Just how far this will go is unknown at the moment.

Where do we go from here?

As security researchers begin to unravel the mysteries surrounding the latest version of Conficker, you can protect yourself from the worm by first testing your system for infection and then by making sure you have the latest Microsoft Security patches and that your antivirus program is up to date. The Conficker Working Group has a simple test to see if you're infected with Conficker.

[Canice Note: I don't care what antivirus you use, the important thing is to use something reputable...these scammers make me sick. Here are the latest ratings of computer security suites :

Some other tools that are FREE include  AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition     Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus   Be safe online!!!

If you're prepared to buy a security suite, here is the order they were rated in for 2009: Bit Defender Internet Security McAfee Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 Kaspersky Check Point ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite   Norton Internet Security Windows OneCare Live F-Secure Internet Security Avira AntiVir Personal Edition (free)   These bring up the bottom of the list: CA Internet Security PC Tools Internet Security