Seemingly, last month was the worst ever month for new viruses, with the biggest ever recorded increase in new virus malware. Sophos reckons that a total of 1,685 new viruses were found during this time, the greatest month-on-month jump since the firm began keeping records.

"The unfortunate onslaught of new threats this month is unsurprising as malware authors ramp up their game in their pursuit of hard cash," said Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos.

"The Mytob dynasty continues to grow - attacking networks thick and fast. This barrage of threats shows no sign of slowing down."