April 1st is the reported date the Conficker worm calls home to receive instructions from its botnet masters. There’s a lot of hype surrounding this “April Fools” worm.  Actually, Conficker.C is a new variant of a worm that’s been around since late last year.  It exploits the MS08-067 vulnerability in un-patched Windows systems.  Microsoft issued a patch for the vulnerability last October.

Much of the hype is just that, hype.  Though worms and botnets are serious business, claims that Conficker will wipe out your computer or bring down the Internet are improbable.   That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned, but as long as your Windows patches and anti-virus definitions are up-to-date, you should be OK.  Actually, hype can be a good thing.  It give us a “teachable moment,” an opportunity to start a conversation about Internet security.

If concerned about an infection, McAfee AVERT is offering a special version of its famous Stinger virus removal tool.  The Conficker Stinger is not a substitute for a full anti-virus application, but can help in the removal of the worm.  Click here to download the current version.