IT contractors should be aware that cyber criminals are now favouring social media as their primary mode of infection.

According to Panda Security, the move has been driven by increasingly spam-savvy email users and the huge growth in social network users.

With social media, it is harder for users to separate a phishing attack from a message, the firm's country manager for the UK and Sweden Sebastian Zabala said.

Mr Zabala goes on to say that users' curiosity can often be their downfall when it comes to cyber attacks via social media.

He explained: "You are more inclined to click on everything, because you want to see everything and you want to see what is happening.

"That is the reason why we are seeing an increase in social media attacks."

Panda Security's latest report shows that 52 per cent of businesses have been subjected to cyber attacks in the last year.