Hatrack River Forum: Conficker: Computer virus and April the first

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Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/technology/19worm.html?_r=2

I don't even know what to think of this. I'm pretty sure my computers not infected but... wow, this is odd.

Hobbes [Smile]

Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :

The article makes it out to be this big dangerous thing, but I'd bet you anything it's just a harmless april fools joke. That said, the net authorities are getting their butts handed to them neatly arranged on a silver platter by these hackers.

Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :

Ack, that is frightening.

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

quote:
I'd bet you anything it's just a harmless april fools joke.

I wouldn't. Hacking is getting considerably more professional nowadays. Botnets are big money.

Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :

quote:
“In the worst case,” Mr. Porras said, “Conficker could be turned into a powerful offensive weapon for performing concerted information warfare attacks that could disrupt not just countries, but the Internet itself.”

I love this quote because it's not just countries. The internet is amazing.

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

The really amazing thing about that quote is that it's there because botnets have already been used in attacks against individual countries.

Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :

From the description of the time and effort being put into staying ahead of the authorities on this, I would be extremely surprised if it's just a joke.