With its new Application Reputation feature, IE9 blocks malicious URLs more than 99 percent of the time, according to NSS Labs, of Carlsbad, Ca.

Application Reputation is Microsoft's attempt to create a definitive list of every application on the Internet. The list is dynamically created and maintained, much the same way Google and Bing are continuously building and maintaining a library of content for search purposes. That list is then used to establish the reputation of a program.

"It became obvious from these recent tests, in comparison to NSS Labs' earlier global tests, that Microsoft continues to improve their IE malware protection in IE9 through its SmartScreen Filter technology and with the addition of SmartScreen Application Reputation technology," NSS reported.

NSS defines social engineering malware URLs as links that entice users to download a malicious payload or visit a site known to host malware links. The carrot that gets users to click is often the promise of nude pictures or fantasy football apps,