Conficker after one week: What now?

April 1st came and went, and the Internet didn't completely melt down as many were certain would happen. But Conficker is still out there, alive and well, much to the gross confusion of a scared technology-using populace. So what now?

Security company F-Secure published a helpful guide late last week about what Conficker can still do, when it could happen, and where we go from here. I won't rehash their entire Q&A here -- just click on over to F-Secure and check it out -- but I do want to address some of the biggest questions about Conficker that I've received, including answers to some that aren't covered on F-Secure's Q&A page.

Q: How do I know if I have Conficker?
A: Probably the most common question I've been getting. Easiest way: Click this link and look for the images on the Conficker Eye Chart. If images are not showing up, you might have the worm. (Scroll down that page for details.)

Q: Now that April 1 has passed, do I still need to be worried?
A: Yes. Conficker is now live and waiting for instructions from its creators. Those instructions simply haven't been delivered yet but could come at any time.

Q: Why not? Is this all just a joke?
A: It's absolutely not a joke. The creators were in part thwarted by massive efforts to keep Conficker from spreading but are also likely to be lying low for now until the heat over Conficker dies down a bit.

Q: Who made this awful worm?
A: No one knows, but it is suspected to have originated in China. Microsoft's $250,000 bounty on the creator still stands.

Q: Did the security software companies make this thing just to drum up business?
A: No. Trust me, they're plenty busy with real malware attacks to need to write their own.

Q: How do I get rid of Conficker if I have it?
A: If your regular antivirus software is ineffective, this page has links to nine removal tools (scroll to the bottom).

Q: When will this ever end?
A: Probably not for a long time. As the F-Secure page notes, not "until all the computers are cleaned up or until the people behind it decide it's not worth it anymore."

Q: Why do people write all this horrible malware?
A: Easy: For the money. Most malware doesn't just wreak havoc on your computer any more (deleting files and the like), now it usually turns your PC into a spam-sending zombie or harvests financial information from your system, all while you're unaware of it. All of that translates directly into cash for the creator of the malware... and I guess that's a lot easier than finding a job.