Anti-malware tool gets good reviews

Microsoft, for the past two years, has actively encouraged users of Windows XP or Windows Vista to download and install its Malicious Software Removal Tool. It’s free to install and is the Redmond, Wash.-based company’s main tool to knock down nasty viruses and malware landing on PCs and laptops.

Though Microsoft is constantly improving the tool, it’s also done a decent job of going after noxious downloads that have infected millions of machines.

The company’s security portal, at microsoft.com/security/ portal/, reports that MSRT has removed at least one backdoor Trojan from roughly 3.5 million computers. Backdoor Trojans allow another attacker to control an infected computer and steal confidential information.

The summary from Microsoft noted that of 5.7 million computers found with at least one instance of malicious software, 62 percent of them had a backdoor Trojan.