Symantec has identified a third variant of the worm Conficker

Conficker / Downadup reappears in a new version. Targeting already infected machines and not updates, W32 Downadup.C act as Trojan horse for other viruses and worms to contaminate.The security experts from the publisher Symantec detected a new version of the worm Conficker / Downadup, the third in less than three months. According to their preliminary findings, this variant, called the W32 Downadup.C, "addressing itself only to machines already infected with early versions of Conficker and would be even more virulent.Disabling antivirus and anti-spyware, opening of ports and creation of a gap to allow other viruses and Trojans, Conficker 3 was designed to better defend themselves against the tools to eradicate it and seems yet fulfill its promise."A module more aggressive" according to SymantecAccording to Vincent Weafer, vice president of Symantec Security Response, has to be seen "as a module update that is more aggressive, more robust to defend itself."Conficker has already infected more than nine million Windows PCs in the world and this new version could push that figure even if we think at Symantec W32 Downadup.C that aims to infect even more machines which have not been updated.Known methods to get rid of them is still valid, so it is advisable to scan your machine with an updated anti-virus and with the removal tool malware Microsoft, then apply the patches available online.