The FBI said today that it removed Chinese malware from 4,258 US-based computers and networks by sending commands that forced the malware to use its "self-delete" function.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that the FBI has deleted Chinese PlugX malware from over 4,200 computers in networks across the United States.

Federal authorities announced Tuesday that they have erased Chinese malware from thousands of computers across the United States.

Malicious software is just one of the ways hackers can steal data or cause damage to your electronic devices, but two federal agencies undertook major steps to combat it.

The FBI just closed a backdoor into thousands of computers by telling the malware to delete itself. According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the intelligence agency was able to successfully get PlugX,

The FBI says it was authorized to mass-remove “PlugX” malware from more than 4,000 compromised machines in the United States

The FBI instructed PlugX — a malware used by state-sponsored hackers in China — to delete itself across 4,200 infected devices in the US.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI have concluded an extensive international operation that successfully removed PlugX malware from more than 4,200 computers across the United States.