Kiwi accounting software firm Xero is seeing an increase in phishing scams, including some that have impersonated Xero's branding, the company has advised.

“Our monitoring has shown that a small number of our customers have had their Xero accounts compromised,” the company says in a statement. “As a precaution we are asking our customers to reset their passwords.

Before users reset their password, Xero is recommending they update anti-malware (anti-virus) software with the latest signatures and run a full scan of their computer.

“Please do this on all computers you use to access Xero,” the company says.

“You should always maintain your operating system and applications by keeping them up to date with security patches.

Over the next few days, Xero customers will be asked to change their passwords when they login to the platform.

“If you've recently changed your password, we won't ask you to change it again,” Xero says.

“We recommend using a different password for Xero than for other applications you access and turning off your password autosave.

For more password and security advice, Xero suggests customers have a read of their Cloud Security Small Business Guide, or take a look at Xero's security page.

“Xero takes security very seriously. If we were to ever identify any malicious activity in relation to your account we would notify you immediately,” the company says.

“ If you notice something suspicious in your account, please contact us at phishing@xero.com.