DR1 Members "Alert"

Mr_DR

Silver
May 12, 2002
2,506
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0
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Microsoft on Thursday announced it has formed a technology industry posse and put a bounty of 250,000 dollars on the heads of those responsible for a vexing computer worm.

The nasty computer code known as "Conficker" or "Downadup" has been spreading quickly, wriggling into millions of computers worldwide and threatening to commandeer or crash systems.

Microsoft is working with computer security specialists and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to track down whoever unleashed Conficker.

"The best way to defeat potential botnets like Conficker/Downadup is by the security and domain name system communities working together," said ICANN chief Internet security advisor Greg Rattray.

Microsoft promised to pay 250,000 dollars for information that leads to the capture and conviction of the people that launched the malicious code on the Internet.

"We hope these efforts help to contain the threat posed by Conficker, as well as hold those who illegally launch malware accountable," said George Stathakopoulos, general manager of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group.

"Microsoft's approach combines technology innovation and effective cross-sector partnerships to help protect people from cybercriminals."

Cyber threats are evolving rapidly, compelling technology firms and academic researchers worldwide to increasingly collaborate to coordinate defenses.

The posse bent on corralling Conficker includes Symantec, F-Secure, VeriSign, Afilias, Internet Systems Consortium (ISC), and the Shadowserver Foundation.

"I am heartened to see this group of companies and researchers working together night and day, cooperating in some cases with their direct competitors, to cap the damage from this worm," said ISC president Paul Vixie.

"We've aligned a huge pool of talents and resources. We've got a lot to do yet, about this attack and likely future attacks, but if we keep on working together like this, we're going to make real progress in Internet security."

Microsoft said it is offering a cash reward because the Conficker worm is a criminal attack. Anyone that knows about Conficker's origins is urged to contact police dealing with international law enforcement in their country.

Advice about defending against Conficker is available online at microsoft.com/conficker.

The worm, a self-replicating program, takes advantage of networks or computers that haven't kept up to date with Windows security patches.

It can infect machines from the Internet or by hiding on USB memory sticks carrying data from one computer to another. Once in a computer it digs deep, setting up defenses that make it hard to extract.

Microsoft says it is aware of the Conficker "worm family" and has modified its free Malicious Software Removal Tool to detect and get rid of infections.

Malware could be triggered to steal data or turn control of infected computers over to hackers amassing "zombie" machines into "botnet" armies.

A troubling aspect of Conficker is that it harnesses computing power of botnets to crack passwords. Security specialists recommend hardening passwords by mixing in numbers, punctuation marks, and upper case letters.

Repeated "guesses" at passwords by a botnet have caused some computer users to be locked out of files or machines that automatically disable access after certain numbers of failed tries.

"When botnets start being controlled through global, randomized domain names, you know things are heating up in cybercrime," said Afilias chief technology officer Ram Mohan.

"Attackers are evolving and deploying ever more sophisticated techniques. We need to stay together to provide a unified front against future attacks."

Yahoo!
 
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Beads

Bronze
May 21, 2006
607
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If people payed attention to what they were clicking a little better most of these would never be as bad and effect as many people. Luckily for the people who design and send these things into the wild theres a lot of people out there easily tricked into clicking these infected files.

This particular infection has been around since late last year and all major anti virus software which is up to date will detect and remove it. Even the windows malicious software removal tool used by windows update will remove this infection if your windows software patches are up to date and/or your anti virus software there is no reason to be concerned.
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
4,510
294
83
Microsoft should be required to incorporate antivirus into the operating system software and provide free updates!
 

carlos

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 29, 2002
3,781
757
113
right, they offer 250k to the person who gives up the culprit while they have raked in millions upon millions from those that have to buy their anti-virus software.



whatever....
 

Texas Bill

Silver
Feb 11, 2003
2,174
26
0
97
www.texasbill.com
Luperon and Carlos;

You want your cake and eat it too!!!

These people who launch infectious software against theunsuspecting public are the TRUE CULPRITS, NOT Microsoft and all the other software copanies.
You, and people like you, need to get your heads on a bit straighter and start blaming the TRUE CAUSES of all the problems in the computing world.
Has it EVER occurred to you that the software companies spend MILLIONS of dollaars annually in researching and preventing these malicious culprits from infecting your machines.
All you're doing is whining about something you know nothing about andtrying to place the blame of your own stupidity onto someone else who can't fight back personally.

Texas Bill
 

DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
8,234
594
113
Microsoft should be required to incorporate antivirus into the operating system software and provide free updates!

OR you can just buy a Mac.... :glasses:

Admittedly not bulletproof, but it's nice not to have to lose sleep over the "Malicious Malware of the Month" warnings....

fanboy DRob :glasses: