The Conficker C computer worm is expected to activate on April Fool’s Day

The malicious program already is thought to have infected between 5 million and 10 million computers. Those infections haven’t spawned many symptoms, but on April 1 a master computer is scheduled to gain control of these zombie machines, said Don DeBolt, director of threat research for CA, a New York-based IT and software company. What happens on April Fool’s Day is anyone’s guess. The program could delete all of the files on a person’s computer, use zombie PCs — those controlled by a master — to overwhelm and shut down Web sites or monitor a person’s keyboard strokes to collect private information like passwords or bank account information, experts said. More likely, though, said DeBolt, the virus may try to get computer users to buy fake software or spend money on other phony products. DeBolt said Conficker C imbeds itself deep in the computer where it is difficult to track. The program, for instance, stops Windows from conducting automatic updates that could prevent the malware from causing damage. *Source-CNN.com, by: John D. Suter Please call 1-866-4BOOTUP to ensure your safe!