ATLANTA — Researchers at Georgia Tech have unveiled a groundbreaking cybersecurity tool designed to automatically remove malware and stop its spread across computer networks, potentially saving corporations and governments millions of dollars and weeks of recovery time.

Described as a type of digital “vaccine,” the tool replaces malicious code on infected computers with healing software that prevents reinfection and halts the attack at its source.

“So that the infected computers, instead of downloading new malicious code, they would download our vaccine code,” said Georgia Tech researcher Dr. Brendan Saltaformaggio. “It would basically heal or mediate all of the infected computers all around the world. It’s one quick go.”

Traditional malware removal can take days, weeks, or even months. But Saltaformaggio says the new Georgia Tech system automates the process, neutralizing the threat in a matter of minutes.

“You’re putting the attacker at a huge disadvantage because now they have to go reinfect new computers,” he explained. “That’s really the most costly part of any cyberattack, to go in and infect brand new computers.”

The Georgia Tech team hopes the tool will soon be adopted widely to protect networks on a global scale.

WSBs Ashley Simmons contributed to this story