For good reason there has been a lot of users have recently concerned about a Conficker virus and it's potential activation on April fools day. There have been a lot of requests with users wanting to know how to protect themselves so I've created this post as a general document on how to make sure you're protected.
See if you're able to access other security sitesVisit this helpful chart to see if you can load images from major security vendors websites blocked by Conficker when infected. (Thanks Evilfantasy for this link (also mentioned below).
http://www.columbia.edu/~joel/eyechart/cfeyechart.htmlMake sure your anti-virus is up-to-dateBy far the most important thing is to have an up-to-date virus scanner on your computer. If your anti-virus scanner does not automatically update your computer at least every day make sure to manually update it.
Additional information about updating virus scanners at:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000533.htmIf you do not have an antivirus program installed on your computer we suggest
AVG.
Make sure your Windows is up-to-date
Make sure your version of Microsoft Windows is up-to-date with all the latest updates including all the latest service packs.
Windows XP should be running at least Service Pack 3.
Windows Vista should be running at least Service Pack 1
Additional information about updating Windows:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000545.htmGet a malware protection program on the computer and scan itHaving one or more good malware (spyware) protection program on your computer in addition to a antivirus is always a good idea. We suggest having
Malwarebytes.
One virus scannerUnlike a malware or spyware protection program you should only have one anti-virus program installed on your computer. Having more than one anti-virus on your computer does not make it safer it actually can make it unsafe. If you have more than one anti-virus program installed consider keeping one and uninstalling every other one.
Make sure your Internet software is updatedPrograms you use with your browser such as Flash, Adobe Acrobat, Java, etc. are also very vulnerable if not updated. Make sure you're running the latest version of each of these programs. You can quickly and easily determine what you're running by visiting the
Computer Hope System information tool.
System can also be scanned with
Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) that can also be used to scan all files on your computer.
Consider using an alternative browserMany attacks are still directed at Internet Explorer users. We highly recommend and suggest users consider using an alternative browser such as
Firefox.
Install an Internet security serviceThere are a few Internet security services that can help you by warning you when visiting any unsafe web page. We recommend getting
WOT.
Other forum members are welcome to tune in on this thread with their own suggestions. If you're currently infected with this virus
please start a new thread.