Rick Power

Microsoft are determined out who is responsible for the creation of the Downadup/Conficker virus. The company are offering a reward of $250,000 (£172,000). Since it started circulating in October 2008 the Conficker worm has managed to infect millions of computers worldwide and doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of slowing.

The software giant is treating this as a criminal attack and so are offering the cash reward in an attempt to bring down the person/persons behind the Conficker worm. Here is a demo of Windows Touch – Windows 7…

If you don’t have the latest security updates, you could be in danger of being attacked by a worm that spreads through low security networks, PCs and even memory sticks. The malicious piece of software has been infecting under several different names including Conficker, Downadup, and Kido.

First discovered in October 2008, this worm is posing an increasing threat on Windows’ users. To combat this, Microsoft have released a patch, however the worm has already infected over 3 million machines.

According to experts, this figure could potentially be far higher. It is advised that users should have up-to-date anti-virus software and install Microsoft’s MS08-067 patch to protect themselves against this dangerous worm.

The first public trial/beta version of Windows

7 has been released. Microsoft’s very own Steve Ballmer announced the news in his keynote speech at CES,

revealing that software developers would be able to get their hands on the trial version on 7th January.

Two

days later, members of the public will get the chance to download the successor to Windows for

themselves.

Ballmer said Windows 7 would be the pivot of a broader Microsoft push to improve the way its

separate software and service families work together.

Mr Ballmer delivered the opening keynote, signifying the take over from

Bill Gates – who in last year ended his day-to-day involvement with the company he founded years ago.

Agreeing

with the current state of the economic climate, Steve Ballmer said: “We face some really big challenges. We are all

feeling it and its impact will likely be with us for some time.”

In a shock move, Microsoft has revealed it will supply

free anti-virus and security software as soon as the second half of 2009. Microsoft’s current offering named

OneCare, its all-in-one security and PC management service will grind to a halt from the end of June 2009. The new

software, code-named Morro, will be a simple but effective program suited to smaller and less powerful computers.

The software will support Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 and the best bit, it will be free to download.

Microsoft has begun 63 individual lawsuits

against people involved in the sale of fake software on auction sites. The legal action is against sellers in 12

nations including the UK, US, Germany and France. The majority of people targeted by Microsoft have been selling counterfeit

“Blue Edition” versions of Windows XP.

Research carried out by Microsoft discovered that 34% of fake software

sold on auction websites did not install properly and 43% contained tampered code that could expose buyers to dangers

such as identity theft or other attacks.

Microsoft stopped installing XP on new machines at the end of June 2008 as

‘Vista‘, the newest version of Windows took it’s place.