Facebook and its partners F-Secure and Trend Micro, two Internet security companies, will soon offer free downloads of Trend Micro’s HouseCall malware removal software or F-Secure’s Online Scanner software to infected users.

The two programs will complement Facebook’s existing malware-detecting technology. The site will scan users’ profiles and recommend software based on their needs in a pop-up window. Once users hit download, the software will install and begin to scan. Once the software solves the problem, it will automatically uninstall from the user’s computer, and they will not be able to save it permanently. According to The Next Web, this feature only works on Windows desktops for now.

“HouseCall will give Facebook users an additional safeguard against the malicious attacks that interacting online can bring,” Trend Micro CMO Kevin Simzer said. “The scanning process enables users to continue to work online in a more secure environment without unintentionally sharing malicious content or being infected from unsuspecting accounts. HouseCall helps make social networking safer on Facebook.”

Though you won’t be able to regularly scan your computer using these downloads, it’s still an effective way for the average Facebook user to catch malware early. It’s important to note that this is not a replacement for anti-virus protection software.With how often people check Facebook, it could be a wildly effective way to educate users about keeping their computers safe.

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