Windows security tools replace Tuesday patch action
Microsoft may not have any formal security bulletins to release , but there are still a few new versions of some security-related tools for IT administrators to view. For IT shops that have completed their daylight-saving time patching, this might be a good week to look into the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, which is getting its regular once-a-month update. The security software is currently at version 1.27. For those who have long wondered what this tool is, it was originally developed in the wake of RPC exploits like the Blaster, Sasser and Mydoom worms and was designed to detect and remove prevalent malicious software.
Microsoft maintains a list of all the malware the tool looks for and does its best to remove, but it's not intended as a replacement for an actual antivirus product -- it's mostly a stopgap measure designed to halt the most scurrilous of infections and give users a chance to install more effective protection if they must.