Any thoughts that the Conficker computer virus might not find its way to Hawai'i are wrong, with a few computer repair firms reporting yesterday they'd found it on several machines here.

"We have found the Conficker virus on several machines that have come through our doors," said Todd Kingman, general manager of SuperGeeks, a computer network, repair and security management firm.

"There's no doubt that there's quite a bit of computers out there that are affected, not just worldwide, but in Hawai'i as well."

The Conficker worm, a nasty computer infection that has poisoned millions of PCs, is expected to start ramping up its efforts today to use those machines for cybercrimes. It's unclear whether everyday PC users will even notice, but this is as good an excuse as any to make sure your computer is clean.

One scary thing about Conficker is that it spreads without human involvement, moving from PC to PC by exploiting a security hole in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system. The hole was fixed in October, but if your computer doesn't get automatic updates from Microsoft, you could be vulnerable.

That appears to be the case for some home computers as well as those found in some small- and medium-sized businesses and non-profit organizations that haven't taken steps to update their Windows operating system software or make sure their anti-virus software is up to date.

"We have run across it on several of our clients' computers," said Ho'ala Greevey, who helps clients maintain computer systems as well as running Pau Spam, which among other things provides e-mail filters for clients.

Greevey said Conficker appears not to be borne by e-mail, but rather is spread by visiting Web sites infected with the virus, through local area networks and through infected USB devices. He said those infected with it included a nonprofit and a small business.

For companies fortunate enough to employ firms to watch over Internet security, the Conficker virus may not be a concern. At Honolulu-based Secure DNA, there have been no reports of clients with Conficker on their machines.

"We have worked with our clients so they're not as vulnerable as the average user," said Jeremy Nommensen, Secure DNA managed security services manager.