Microsoft is giving law enforcers access to a special tool that keeps tabs on botnets. The tool uses data compiled from the 450 million computer users who have installed the Malicious Software Removal tool that ships with Windows. Microsoft has held seven closed-door botnet conferences for law enforcement officials over the years. Botnets are networks of hacked computers that can be used, almost like a supercomputer, to send spam or attack servers on the Internet. Canada police used Microsoft’s botnet-buster tool to break up a network that had infected nearly 500,000 computers in 110 countries.”]
Source: https://www.csoonline.com/article/2122629/microsoft-botnet-hunting-tool-helps-bust-hackers.html