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Sociology News
Conficker detection and removal
'Conficker,' also known by a variety of other names, is malware that has spread widely across the Internet. It exploits vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows operating systems
You can apply a simple test for the presence of a Conficker/Downadup infection on your computer. The presence of a Conficker/Downadup infection may be detected if you are unable to connect to, for example, these websites:
If you are unable to reach any of these websites, it may indicate a Conficker/Downadup infection. The most recent variant of Conficker/Downadup interferes with queries for these sites, preventing you from visiting them. If a Conficker/Downadup infection is suspected, the system or computer should be disconnected from the internet immediately, since an infected machine poses a risk to other computers.
Sociology's on-the-network PCs are configured in ways that minimize risk of infection. We encourage you, however, to take care on your personally-owned computer and when plugging flash storage such as USB drives into unknown computers.
Removal of Conficker is not trivial, although tools have recently been developed to simplify the process. Contact the SRL if you suspect an infection, and we'll help direct you to the most expedient mechanism for removal.
More details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker
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04.01.2009
