BITS Blog

The ‘Conficker’ worm - Has your PC taken the bait?

The newest “major” threat to internet security – and most reported- is the “Conficker” worm. This worm, which infects an estimated 10 million computers and gathers personal information about the computer’s users (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker), is set to undergo a change in the way that it operates on April 1, 2009. While this change may or may not cause damage to infected systems, it is important to ensure that an infected machine is cleaned and uninfected computers are correctly configured to prevent the spread of the worm.

Obtaining antivirus software to combat the worm

For home and personal computers, there are several options available to protect against computer malware. Your ISP (Cox, Qwest, etc) may offer complimentary security software:

If you use a personally owned computer at Biodesign, you may use the ASU version of the McAfee VirusScan that is available for download here, which will require you login with your ASURITE ID and password:
http://asu.edu/asusoftware

Please ensure your computer is configured for Windows automatic updates. You can find instructions on how to set this up at the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/windowsupdate/automaticupdate.mspx.

Updating VirusScan

If your computer was configured by Biodesign Information Technology Services (BITS), Windows and the McAfee VirusScan application should be set to update automatically. This helps prevent against most attempts to load malware onto your computer. If you believe your computer is not being updated, you can follow the steps below to ensure VirusScan is updated.

To run the update program manually, right-click the V-shield icon in the Windows task bar, and select ‘Update Now’ from the pop-up menu.

To ensure future updates to the VirusScan program are applied automatically, please check the following:

• Right click on the V-shield icon on the taskbar, and select “VirusScan Console”
  
• Double-click the “AutoUpdate” icon.
  
• Click the “Schedule” button.
  
• Ensure that the “Enable” checkbox is checked, then click the “Schedule” tab.
  
• Select the settings you would like, and then click “OK” on this window, then “OK” on the next window, and close the VirusScan Console window.
  

Your computer is now set to receive updates to the VirusScan software automatically.

In case of infection

If you believe your computer is infected, there are several symptoms that will be present:

1. You notice an increased number of pop-ups, even when you do not have an internet browser open
2. You are unable to update antivirus software or run the Windows update
3. Certain websites, such as the Windows update site, are unreachable via your web browser
4. The computer has become increasingly sluggish and unresponsive

Please contact BITS (bits-q@asu.edu or 480-727-0123) in the event that any or all of these symptoms are occurring, so we can advise you on the best course of action to take to ensure the security of your data.