Have virus writers set their sights on your games console?

Microsoft's Xbox and other game consoles could become virus writers' next targets, according to top anti-virus experts.

Security specialists have warned that viruses could spread easily to other consoles if they are linked with one another via the internet and built with very little security in mind.

The Xbox in particular could be hit as Microsoft is a favourite target of many virus writers, according to Jack Clarke, product manager at anti-virus specialist McAfee.

He said: "There are millions of Xboxes connected together via the internet. It's almost too easy to spread viruses via these consoles. We don't know how it will spread yet, but we are fully aware that any Microsoft product makes a tempting target."

Security is especially lax, making it easier to infiltrate.

Clarke said: "I know Microsoft has not thought about the security of the Xbox much yet, but I am sure they will realise soon that there are too many people connected to one another via an insecure platform."

However, Natasha Staley, technical consultant at Sophos, claimed a virus threat is not imminent.

"Technically, it is viable that a virus could infect a games console but we have not seen any viruses written specifically for games consoles to date. Virus authors go for the easiest route to hitting as many users as possible and I don't think that games consoles facilitate this at present."