Virus hits Scottish bean counters

A Scottish National Party councillor is being investigated by the police after a computer virus was planted on the network of a former business partner.

Angus Nicolson, SNP group leader on Western Isles Council, was sacked by Stornoway accountants Mann Judd Gordon after accusing business partner Roddy Cunningham of taking money from a £300,000 trust fund, according to a report in the Glasgow Sunday Mail.

Shortly after Nicolson's sacking the other partners in the firm discovered their machines had been infected with a computer virus, claims the paper.

The computers hold valuable customer information which if damaged could reportedly set the company back years.

Although there is no evidence to suggest at this time the infection was down to Nicolson or even an inside job, it serves as a reminder to companies of the importance of antivirus protection.

Employees or ex-employees don't even have to be acting maliciously to damage a network, cause thousands of pounds worth of damage, or even in extreme cases put company out of business.

A survey conducted by McAfee and the Institute of Directors earlier this year, revealed employees are still the weakest link in the chain where virus protection is concerned.