Conficker

Conficker, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, is a computer worm targeting the Microsoft Windows operating system that was first detected in November 2008. It uses flaws in Windows software to co-opt machines and link them into a virtual computer that can be commanded remotely by its authors. Conficker has more than seven million computers now under its control—government, business and home computers in more than 200 countries, according to... more

Conficker, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, is a computer worm targeting the Microsoft Windows operating system that was first detected in November 2008. It uses flaws in Windows software to co-opt machines and link them into a virtual computer that can be commanded remotely by its authors. Conficker has more than seven million computers now under its control—government, business and home computers in more than 200 countries, according to the New York Times. The worm uses a combination of advanced malware techniques which has made it difficult to counter, and has since spread rapidly into what is now believed to be the largest computer worm infection since the 2003 SQL Slammer. The origin of the name Conficker is thought to be a portmanteau of the English term "configure" and the German word Ficker, which means "fucker." On the other hand, Microsoft analyst Joshua Phillips described the name as a rearrangement of portions of the domain name trafficconverter.biz, which was used... less