To wipe out the botnet, authorities shut down the master servers along with over 300 IP address used by crooks. They were aided in their efforts by Microsoft (the virus only affects Windows machines), along with Symantec and AnubisNetworks. As you'd expect, clearing the virus from individual PCs isn't trivial. For instance, it loads into memory when the victim boots up and re-installs itself if the virus is deleted from the hard disk. It also disables antivurus software, and can monitor your websurfing to steal cookies. If you're worried, UK police have recommended you use specialized software that can detect and disinfect the virus -- Microsoft has it here.

[Image credit: Benjamin Howell/Getty]