Microsoft on Tuesday announced that it has added new protection capabilities to its Malicious Software Removal Tool to help organizations fight the insidious data-stealing malware Zeus. The removal tool, released Tuesday as part of Microsoft's monthly security update, detects and cleans the malware. Microsoft researchers said Tuesday in blog post that Zeus, also known as Zbot, is “quite complex and varied” but distributing it does not take much technical sophistication since toolkits to create the malware are easily obtainable on underground forums. The new detection capability comes in the wake of a series of attests disrupting an international cybercrime operation linked to Zeus.— AM