[ddots-l] Re: This is Serious
- From: "Bryan Smart" <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:03:18 -0400
Wow. Not reading e-mail lists for a while is fun.
Does Conficker rule the world yet?
If it's from Kim Komando, it's truth! Lol
I suppose that chain letters will get renamed all sorts of ways before
people start realizing what they are. Whoever started this one is
undoubtedly having a big laugh.
Bryan
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Subject: [ddots-l] This is Serious
Hi,
I got this from another list.
Sharon
Hi all,
Here's today's tip of the day from Kim Komando, and it's a duzy!
This is no joke, forward this to everybody you know. If it's from Kim
Komando, it's truth!
Harry
Conficker prepares to rule the world!
3/31/2009
Q. My friend was telling me about Conflictor. That's a computer thing
that is going to take over the world. Or, maybe not. I assume this is an
April Fool's
joke. Right?
-Mamie in Miami, listening on WIOD 610 AM
A. No, Mamie, Conficker (not Conflictor) is the real thing, I'm afraid.
No one knows what it's going to do. But it probably won't be good.
(Conficker is
also known as Downadup and Kido.)
April 1, compromised machines will contact hundreds of computers on the
Web. They will get their marching orders, whatever they may be.
Maybe they will start sending spam. Or, they could be roped into massive
armies to attack other computers. Those are called distributed denial of
service
attacks. They're used to blackmail sites that need to be online.
Or, Conficker might steal confidential information from its host
machine. That could be in addition to other bad deeds.
Conficker has reportedly compromised millions of Windows machines.
Symantec says 3 million. The Washington Post said 12 million, without
attribution.
Cisco says 10 million in 150 countries. It puts China at 3 million;
Brazil, 1 million; and Russia, 800,000. The United States has an
estimated 200,000 compromised
computers.
Counterfeit Windows installations are common in China, Brazil, Russia
and elsewhere. Microsoft won't update counterfeit installations. So
those machines
are wide open. (Somehow, I don't think Microsoft is helping its
customers with this policy.)
Business networks apparently also are vulnerable. They usually have good
security against the outside world. But they may lack security on
individual machines.
So if malware gets past the gates, it can run wild internally. That's
especially true if the machines use weak passwords. Conficker can launch
dictionary
attacks.
Conficker takes advantage of a flaw Microsoft patched in October. Lots
of people don't patch their machines-even when they're legitimate. When
Conficker
gets in, it patches the flaw itself. That keeps other criminals out.
(Thanks, Conficker!)
The result: System administrators cannot scan for unpatched machines. At
least, that's the idea. Researchers recently found a flaw in the
Conficker patch.
That will help identify compromised machines on networks. Scanning
software companies are working hard to capitalize on that.
Conficker also blocks anti-malware sites. So, if you have outdated
protection, you supposedly can't update it.
Conficker is professionally written. That is why it has spread so
capably. Criminals in Eastern Europe are believed to be behind it.
Of course, it's possible that the April 1 date is a red herring. Even if
Conficker installations are updated on April 1, they won't necessarily
do anything.
Remember, these are probably criminals looking to make money. You don't
make money by shutting down the Web. That's vandalism. Most criminals
prefer stealth.
So, April 1 may pass uneventfully for civilians. Pros watching traffic
online will probably see a lot going on.
There is a slim chance that Conficker is vandalism. In that case, maybe
just the host machines will be attacked. But "slim" probably overrates
this idea.
This thing is too well done. Old style viruses were written by barely
competent people.
So, this all raises the question of protection. Do you have Conficker on
your machine?
Well, that depends. Do you keep your security programs up to date?
Update Windows regularly? Delete spam immediately? If you answered yes
to these questions,
infection is unlikely.
If you're lackadaisical about security, you may be infected. How do you
tell? Well, there are tools out there to help.
I have several on my site.
So, let's say you find Conficker. What then? Well, get it off your
machine first. Then run Windows Update. Open Internet Explorer and click
Tools>>Windows
Update. Download and install critical and important updates.
Once that's done, install and update security software. I've got
everything you need at my
Security Center.
I would also sign up with OpenDNS. This is a free service that makes for
faster surfing. (DNS stands for domain name service (or server or
system). These
servers translate names like
www.komando.com
to Web addresses, like 66.210.246.140.) So, we already use it. I have a
link to
http://www.opendns.com
But OpenDNS also teamed with Kaspersky (a Russian security company)
against Conficker. It blocks every Web address Conficker uses online.
So, if you have
Conficker, it couldn't connect online. I'd install OpenDNS pronto. If
you already have OpenDNS, you're set.
It gives you safer, speedier Web surfing
To locate Web sites, computers use IP numbers. But numbers like
66.102.7.104 are difficult to memorize. That's where DNS (domain name
system) comes in.
DNS allows us to use names like www.komando.com instead of numbers.
Behind the scenes, computers still work with IP numbers. Lists of
matching names and numbers are kept by DNS servers. Enter an address,
and your browser
requests the matching number from a DNS server.
This lookup process takes valuable time. DNS servers typically keep only
partial lists. Often, one request is forwarded through several servers.
Many are
halfway around the globe.
OpenDNS is a free service that aims to speed up this process. OpenDNS
servers keep more complete lists than other DNS servers. Also, your
browser's requests
go to the OpenDNS server closest to you.
You don't have to download anything to use OpenDNS. It's available
through a simple change of Internet connection settings. The OpenDNS
site includes instructions
for changing these settings in Windows. There are also instructions for
those who connect through routers.
OpenDNS does more than speed up Web surfing. It can also keep you safer.
OpenDNS keeps an updated list of phishing sites. If you get fooled into
visiting
one of these sites, OpenDNS will block it.
OpenDNS can also protect you from Web address misspellings. Misspelled
addresses often lead to advertisers who profit from accidental visitors.
OpenDNS
corrects common misspellings on the fly to deliver the sites you want.
Cost: Free!
One other thing: I remember sitting up New Year's Eve, waiting for the
Y2K bug. I think I started with Australia. Nothing ever happened. So,
you might not
want to hold a Conficker party. The whole thing could be anticlimactic.
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