(Credit: Wikipedia)

Updated at 9:13 p.m. PDT with the information provided by BKIS that its free version of BKAV antivirus software can remove the worm from any infected computer.

There’s been a lot of fuss about theConficker worm. However, there is a $250,000 question: the origin of the virus.

This is the amount Microsoft is putting up as a reward for any information leading to an arrest related to the case. Folks at BKIS, a Vietnamese security firm that makes the BKAV antivirus software, announced Monday that they found clues that the virus may have originated from China. Previously, there were rumors that it might have been from Russia or Europe.

The firm’s conclusion is based on its analysis of the virus’ coding. It found that Conficker’s code is closely related to that of the notorious Nimda, a virus that wreaked havoc on the Net and e-mail in 2001. At that time, BKIS determined that Nima was made in China based on the firm’s own data.

It’s important to note that the origin of Nimda was never verified. Though Nimda contained text indicating that it may have originated from China, this is in no way hard evidence.

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Originally posted at News – Security