Just one Irish company has so-far identified an infection of a computer spying bug malware called Regin.

However the "average consumer is not going to be affected", Orla Cox of Symantec told RTÉ Radio.

Symantec, the internet security company which claims to have found the bug, said the software could take screenshots, control the cursor and steal passwords.

Ireland has been named as one of ten countries most affected by the bug. About 9 per cent of the 100 computers with confirmed infections worldwide were Irish, according to Symantec.

The malware was “highly targeted” at companies because they were thought to be of interest to those behind the attack.

The firm was unable to say which Irish company had been infected but it was “not a particularly high profile organisation” and she was “not aware of any financial loss” to the firm,

Russia, Saudi Arabia and Mexico had also been heavily affected. A report from Symantec said Regin was highly-sophisticated software which had been active since 2008 and may have been created by a national government.

It had been used to attack individuals and small businesses as well as private companies, government entities and research institutes. Telecoms companies had also been infected, allowing hackers to gain access to phone calls. Computers were infected with the software through means including fake internet sites and instant messenger programmes.

Symantec said it was unusually low-key, meaning it could be used on a target for several years before being noticed. The report described the purpose of Regin as “intelligence gathering” and said: “It is used for the collection of data and continuous monitoring of targeted organisations or individuals.”