Conficker worm estimated to have caused $9.1 billion in damages

"Because there was no major Conficker-created problems on April 1st when hijacked computers went online and began communicating with controller domains, numerous commentators are now downplaying the significance of the Conficker problem. This conclusion is wildly off base and patently flawed," explained Rob Housman, executive director of the Cyber Secure Institute. "In short, just because the other guy in a fight doesn't pull the trigger when he's got the gun to your head, doesn't mean you won the fight. It is important to look at the totality of the Conficker problem. Whether or not Conficker ultimately turns out to be a sales tool for bogus Ukrainian security software or something much more destructive, the simple fact is that the Conficker worm has infected vast numbers of computers around the world."

According to Housman, any analysis of the Conficker worm's impact should factor in "wasted time, resources, and energies of the cyber-community, governments, companies and individuals."