IT contractors should be on the lookout for World Cup-themed malware during the ongoing tournament over the next two months.

Security firm Symantec has identified 45 sophisticated targeted malware emails designed to draw business employees in with hype about the South Africa tournament.

So far, the infected emails have been intercepted en route to Brazilian companies across a range of different sectors, using both a PDF attachment and malicious link.

When the malware successfully infiltrates a machine, the recipient "is likely to have their computer under the full control of the attackers to use for whatever purpose or intent they had in mind", according to Symantec.

Last week, Symantec technical experts indicated that spammers raised their activity levels in a bid to capitalise on the World Cup excitement gripping the 32 participating nations.

Recent World Cup-orientated spam attempts have included promotions for fake gift cards and invites for users to participate in surveys.