Summary: Boycott Novell goes offline as Conficker goes up

IT IS tempting to say that our one-hour downtime this morning was caused by a DDOS attack related to Conficker, but we don't know this yet. In any event, while investigation continues (and hopefully this won't recur), here are our latest Conficker picks. The current news confirms that it was no hoax.

● Conficker: GNU/Linux's way to mainstream

I personally hope that the Conficker/Downup/Downadup/Kido computer worm — that surfaced in October 2008 and targets the Microsoft Windows operating system, that activates on April 1st — shows Windows users just how insecure the Windows operating system is, and how slow Microsoft is to react to it, and “patch” it.

The Windows operating system has always been insecure — and I don’t mean as in self-esteem, although :b

● Letter from a CIO: why Conficker won't hurt our company

You know a virus is making it in the news when your network’s users start asking you about it (instead of the latest round of "good news virus" hoaxes.) It's prudent for those in technical leadership roles to send out encouraging messages why nobody need panic. Here’s a template e-mail you can copy-and-paste, with versions for Windows, Linux and Mac infrastructures!

[...]

Dear all,

You may have heard about a super-virus which is being discussed in the mainstream media. Some have asked me about this and I appreciate their concern for the safety of our data and systems.

I'd like to take this opportunity to give assurance to everyone that Initech takes seriously the integrity and security of its information.

This is the reason why we use the Linux operating system exclusively, for our servers and desktop and laptop computers. It is impervious to this latest virus threat which, like every other one, affects inferior systems running Microsoft Windows.

This virus threat will not – and in fact can not – infect any of our computing devices and tomorrow will be business as usual.

Your home computers may not necessarily be so safe. Consequently, you might like to take this opportunity to consider installing Ubuntu Linux instead.

Have a great day!

● Repeat after me: Conficker is a Windows virus

Why does the general media - and quite often the tech media too - avoid naming the culprit? Is it because they are afraid of offending Microsoft? Or is it plain ignorance?

If you leave Swiss cheese lying around your pantry, can you blame mice for wanting to creep in and eat it at night?

● It’s raining free Conficker protection: get it now!

The dreaded Conficker worm is constantly in the news these days, with consumers and businesses worldwide now bracing themselves for another expected attack from the malicious worm predicted to sweep the Internet on April Fool’s Day tomorrow.

● Scareware scammers latch onto Conficker hype

Scammers are taking advantage of the huge interest in the impending "activation" of the Conficker superworm by poisoning search engine results.

● How will the April Fools' computer worm affect you?

Conficker.c is a worm, a malicious program thought to have already infected between 5 million and 10 million computers.

Those infections haven't spawned many symptoms, but on April 1 a master computer is scheduled to gain control of these zombie machines, said Don DeBolt, director of threat research for CA, a New York-based IT and software company.

● Busted! Conficker's tell-tale heart uncovered

Security experts have made a breakthrough in their five-month battle against the Conficker worm, with the discovery that the malware leaves a fingerprint on infected machines that is easy to detect using a variety of off-the-shelf network scanners.

● 53 Pages, 10 Months, 1295 Infected Hosts, 103 Countries, And They Still Can't Say "Windows Malware" (related but not the same)

"Vast Spy System Loots Computers in 103 Countries"-- sounds promising, right? In the New York Times, no less, so it should be good. Well, no, I was rather disappointed at yet another security analysis that left out vital information-- which operating systems and applications were vulnerable. If it were Linux or Mac do you think they would be so tight-lipped? Why is the Dalai Lama running Windows?

● Counting down to Conficker

"No one knows who controls Conficker, so it could be controlled by terrorists," he writes. "It could also be controlled by the kid who played Urkel on 'Family Matters.' "

If our Web site becomes inaccessible due to load -- as it did one hour ago -- then the above should come to mind. ⬆