The majority of hackers currently operating are more interested in getting their hands on money than anything else, it has been claimed.

Greg Day, security analyst for McAfee, explained that whereas in the past creating malicious software used to be about people proving how clever they are it is now "all about maximising revenue".

He said that this situation had led to people copying viruses and making slight amendments, rather than spending time creating entirely new ones.

Mr Day said: "Each time it will be modified just enough to circumnavigate existing defences – for example, re-packaging the attack to make it seem different even though it does the same thing - much as a chameleon changes colour."

In doing so, he added, people are aiming to increase "the longevity and success of the attack" which, in turn, increases their revenue potential.

The amount of malware circulating on the internet has rocketed in recent years with Panda Software reporting it receives more than 3,000 novel samples of programs each day.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent) In a recent survey of SMEs for Connect, the two most important benefits of outsourcing were 'guaranteed response times' and 'allowing in-house IT staff to concentrate on more strategic issues'.