Conficker Worm / April 1 Virus

Yes, there is an Internet worm called "Conficker" (sometimes misspelled "Conflicker"). Yes, more than 10 million computers are believed to be infected with it. And yes, experts think one variant of the worm, Conficker C, has been programmed to do something or other — nobody's sure exactly what — on Wednesday, April 1.

One thing we do know for sure is that the threat has been ridiculously over-hyped by the media. Take this example from this morning's Sun:

MILLIONS of computers around the world could go into meltdown on April 1 because of a deadly virus.

The Windows worm called Conficker could give a hacker unrestricted access to every infected machine on the planet.

And the aggressive bug could be hiding on your PC at home right now, waiting to kick in....

At the other end of the spectrum are folks like SecureWorks malware expert Joe Stewart, who insists that for most computer users this April Fools' Day will be just like any other:

The truth is, there will be no April 1st outbreak, despite what some of the press stories have said so far. The only thing that will happen with Conficker on April 1st is that already-infected systems will begin to use a new algorithm to locate potential update servers. There, that's not so scary, is it?

Confused? I don't blame you. About.com's antivirus expert Mary Landesman helps sort out Conficker Worm Myths vs. Reality

Read more about it:
• Conficker April Fools Hype
• Conficker Hype and Debate Build as April Fools' Day Nears
• Conficker Worm: April Fool's Joke or Unthinkable Disaster?