Nearly two in three (65%) people, who join social networking websites each day, are less likely to interact or share information due to growing security concerns, according to a survey by security firm RSA.

The survey showed that four out of five (81%) people using social networking websites had concern with the safety of their personal information online, as social networking websites become a hotbed for online criminals.

Between 2007 and 2009, consumer awareness of phishing attacks has doubled and the number of consumers who reported falling prey to this attack increased six times during that same period of time.

In a similar RSA survey in 2007, one in three (38%) consumers reported they were aware of the threat of a phishing attack and the figure doubled in two years where three in four (76%) consumers have become aware. In RSA’s 2010 survey, nine in ten consumers (89%) reported concerns caused by the threat of phishing.

Despite increased awareness, there have been a growing number of online users that have fallen victim to phishing attacks. In the 2007 RSA survey, only one in twenty (5%) consumers cited they had fallen victim to a phishing scam, while this rate increased six-times in 2009 to represent three in ten (29%) consumers.

RSA Anti-Fraud Command Center has detected highest rate of phishing attacks between August and October 2009 and a 17% increase in the total number of attacks between 2008 and 2009. Consumers aware of trojans climbed to 81% from 63% in 2007.

Consumers using online banking websites (86%) had more concerns with personal information theft than those using healthcare portals (64%) and government websites (68%). As a result more than half of consumers are less likely to interact on these websites, the firm said.

Consumers agreed that their identities should be better protected than a simple username and password on social networking (59%), healthcare (64%), government (70%) and online banking (80%) websites.

Christopher Young, senior vice president of RSA, said: “Fraudsters continue to fine-tune their array of tactics that result in millions of computers becoming infected with Trojans and other malware. These online criminals are adept at social engineering with at-the-ready phishing attacks that are launched within moments of breaking news about popular celebrities, professional athletes or serious global events.”