I'm a "Mac person" so I've perhaps been unaware of this, but I'll post it for my PC friends. Experts are warning that hackers have yet to activate the payload of the Conficker virus. The worm is spreading through low security networks, memory sticks, and PCs without current security updates.
The malicious program - also known as Downadup or Kido - was first discovered in October 2008. Although the spread of the worm appears to be levelling off, there are fears someone could easily take control of any and all of the 9.5m infected PCs..."It is scary thinking about how much control they [a hacker] could have over all these computers. They would have access to millions of machines with full administrator rights.
"But they haven't done that yet, maybe they're scared. That's good news. But there is also the scenario that someone else figures out how to activate this worm. That is a worrying prospect."
"What's more, if your users are using weak passwords - 12345, QWERTY, etc - then the virus can crack them in short order," he added.
"But as the virus can be spread with USB memory sticks, even having the Windows patch won't keep you safe. You need anti-virus software for that."
This is scary. Spreads via thumb drives and takes control of the host computers. More at the BBC link. If you're at risk, you should search the web for more guidance.
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