The company is researching new virus-like security technologies that are designed to identify vulnerable machines on company networks and shut them down before malicious code strikes.

HP revealed this week that it had used the approach to protect thousands of machines on its network two days before the Blaster worm struck.

The code, developed by HP’s security research labs in Bristol, effectively saved the company from an infection that cost organisations around the world hundreds of millions of pounds to fix.

Although the technology is still at an early stage, HP sees it as a potential solution to the difficulties companies face ensuring all the machines on their network are patched, often at short notice, against the latest vulnerabilities.

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