SWITCH taking action to protect against the Conficker computer worm

SWITCH is taking action to protect internet addresses with the endings .ch and .li from the Conficker computer worm.

Conficker – also known by other names, such as Downad, Downadup and Kido – is a computer worm which embeds itself in computers operating under Windows without users noticing it and which will probably be active as of 1 April 2009. There are estimated to be more than a million computers affected worldwide.

The computer worm will try to establish a connection with websites so as to download and install malware from there. Websites registered in Switzerland and Liechtenstein are also affected.

SWITCH has a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) which is constantly observing and analysing the situation. By agreement with other registries, SWITCH has taken appropriate measures to make the further spread of malware more difficult. Customers directly affected by the computer worm will be informed by SWITCH on an ongoing basis.

"Thanks to the outstanding global networking of our security experts, we are in a position to offer the holders of internet addresses the greatest possible protection", says Urs Eppenberger, Head of Internet Domains at SWITCH.

Installing security updates
For Windows systems, it is important to ensure that the latest security updates are always installed:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/

You will find a list of antivirus software on the following website:
http://www.heise.de/security/dienste/antivirus/links.shtml

Anyone who is not sure whether their PC has been affected by the worm can run a check with one of the following programs and remove the worm if necessary:

http://www.enigmasoftware.com/support/conficker-removal/
http://www.spywarevoid.com/w32downadupc-removal-remove-conficker-worm.html

Further information on the Conficker computer worm may be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker