IT contractors have been warned to protect themselves against a new blunt and destructive virus.

Earlier this month, IT security firm Sophos identified the W32/Scar-H malware, which replaces files in the C: drive with a copy of itself, initially leading to computer malfunction and eventually a complete shutdown of the operating system.

Strangely for a piece of modern malware, the virus does not have any particular aim - such as obtaining confidential information - instead existing solely to destroy hard drives, according to the lead training manager at IT security firm 7Safe Jens Kirschner.

He warned: "It seems unavoidable that any system affected will initially malfunction and quickly cease to function entirely.

"If the system is of high relevance to the affected organisation, therein lies the problem."

According to the latest research from Symantec, there was a 100 per cent increase in the number of malicious programs on the internet between 2008 and 2009.