Secure USB Drive

Here is a final reminder that on April 1st, the Conficker worm (also known as Downadup or Kido) will change the way it updates itself, moving to a system that is much harder to remove.

However, malware experts predict that it is unlikely to affect the majority of computer users.  April 1 is what’s called a trigger date, when the worm will switch the way it looks for software updates.  It has already had several such trigger dates, including January 1, which did not directly impact on IT operations.

However, researchers do warn against complacency.  Last Friday, leaked documents from the UK Government showed that the UK parliamentary IT system was hit by the Conficker virus.  A memo sent to MPs, Lords and their staff claims that the worm was causing the network to slow down and locking some users out of their accounts.

MPs were requested not to connect “USB memory sticks or any other portable storage devices” on to the Parliament Network for the time being, as the worm is known to spread through such devices.

So it’s worth using the next couple of days to clean up any lingering Conficker infections by applying the Microsoft patch that closes the vulnerability exploited by the worm, and updating antivirus software.  There are also free Downadup-removal tools available on the web.