Conficker madness – good or bad?

Just like BBC’s botnet debacle which fueled a vivid discussion amongst security circles, debating if the exposure is good (i.e., raising awareness to the threat) or bad (i.e., not really ethical, everyone knew about the ability to rent a botnet), CBS’s 60 minutes had a 15 minute spot focusing on Conficker. Check it out here:

On one hand, getting more awareness out there is great – not a lot of people realize how real the threat is, and how organized is the business of managing that threat (favorite quotes – it’s like a business, and uses advertising to promote itself). On the other hand, getting all rattled up towards April 1st might not be effective and may cause an uncalled for panic (and yes, a rush to buy or upgrade security software, which is probably why a certain vendor is highlighted on the CBS piece…).

Bottom line – keep cool, make sure you surf securely, and don’t click on every possible link you are presented with (think first, count to ten, and then click).