New PC worm infecting millions

The New York Times called it the newest "digital plague." "Known as Conficker or Downadup, it is spread by a recently discovered Microsoft Windows vulnerability, by guessing network passwords and by hand-carried consumer gadgets like USB keys," according to the Times, adding that experts are calling it the worst worm since the Slammer of 2003. Microsoft says there's no single solution to the problem, but it did issue a patch last October. Security experts told the Times that the worm's success was "due in part to lax security practices by both companies and individuals, who frequently do not immediately install updates." Washington Post computer security writer Brian Krebs has details on the worm's origins.