Protecting Yourself From Conficker

There are three crucial steps that you need to take to protect your computer from Conficker (and other viruses). The first step is to make sure that your Windows Operating System is fully patched. The second step is to disable Autoplay. The third is to make sure that you are running antivirus software that is up to date.
Patching your Windows Operating System
Microsoft has responded to some of Conficker's techniques for infecting computers by patching the Windows operating system. If you are completely up to date with all of your Windows Updates, then you have already put these protections in place. If you aren't up to date, you need to make sure that you have installed the patches discussed in KB958644 and KB967715. The easiest way to get all of the updates needed to stop Conficker is to visit http://update.microsoft.com and make sure that the latest updates have all been installed. For future updates, simply enabling Automatic Updates ensures that your computer stays patched.

Disabling Autoplay
Because the Conficker virus masks itself in the Autoplay window that appears when a new disk is inserted, disabling Autoplay also helps protect you from the Conficker virus. For this reason, CITES Security strongly recommends disabling the Autoplay feature in Windows.
For more information about how to disable Autoplay, see:
Vista instructions (simple)
XP instructions (simple)
Microsoft Knowledge Base (advanced, with patch links)

Running up-to-date Antivirus Software
Security companies that make antivirus software are doing their best to keep up with Conficker and its mutations. If your computer is acting oddly, or if you just want to double check that your computer is free from Conficker, you should download the latest antivirus update and then run a full scan of your computer.