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By Marc GiauqueSALT LAKE CITY -- It could end up destroying data or it could send a simple "pop-up" storm to millions of computers. A computer bug called "Conficker" is expected to unleash something to infected computers this coming Wednesday, April 1st.
The Conficker bug has actually been around for a while, but experts are debating how harmful the third stage of the contagion will be.
For people like Thomas Olsen at CMIT Solutions in Murray, impact doesn't matter. He's warning all of his clients to take the basically simple steps that will eradicate the bug.
"Even if it's a small little blip, or it's an annoyance. If you're a business, that's a problem," he said.
Experts say the virus has installed itself on millions of computers worldwide. Olsen said it's expected to unload software on Wednesday on those computers. It could allow hackers to use the machines to send out more malicious software, it could disable anti-virus protection, or it could destroy data.
The fix is a relatively simple one. Olsen said Microsoft sent out a patch last October that's part of its automatic update effort. But he says many people don't regularly install those updates.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
