Facebook on Tuesday said that it has been using a new security tool to help detect malicious software for users of social network. Facebook said it was working with Kaspersky Lab, bolstering a program implemented with other online security firms including ESET, F-Secure and Trend Micro.

"Thanks to the collaboration with these companies, in the past three months we have helped clean up more than two million people's computers that we detected were infected with malware when they connected to Facebook," said Trevor Pottinger, a Facebook security engineer.

"In these cases, we present a cleanup tool that runs in the background while you continue using Facebook, and you get a notification when the scan is done to show you what it found."

The program uses "a combination of signals to help find infections and get the malware off of your computer for good, even if the malware isn't actively spreading spam or harmful links."