In a controlled experiment conducted by life assistance company CPPGroup, a small group of volunteers with limited technological knowledge -- who signed a disclaimer saying they would not use the information for illegal or malicious attacks -- followed a online tutorial using a man-in-the-middle (MITM) technique to hack into a computer network and obtain each other's login details.

CPP's volunteer included a TV producer, a self-employed baker and a retiree. They simply followed a 14-minute classroom-style tutorial which is freely available online. From this they were able to download hacking software which allowed them to access login details and passwords for e-mail accounts, social networking sites and online shopping accounts within a matter of minutes.

Supporting research reveals what could happen as a result: over seven million people have had online password-protected information accessed without their permission. Of these, nearly 1 out of 4 claim to have had their personal e-mails accessed as a result, with 1 out of 5 saying their eBay accounts have been hacked.

In an age of social media, 16 percent say their social networking profiles have been hijacked and 10 percent claim to have had money or a loan taken out in their name. The opportunity for hackers to target users in this way also has the potential to grow due to the dramatic increase in the number of public Wi-Fi networks and smartphones with inbuilt Wi-Fi connectivity in recent years.

With over 20,000 videos on YouTube with basic hacking information tips teaching users how to hack social media profiles, e-mail, smartphones and PayPal accounts, it seems the internet's capacity to host this type of material remains unchallenged.

These online hacking tutorials are widely known about with almost a 1 out of 5 of people aware of their existence.

"The recent Sony security breach that saw a hacker gain access to the personal data of more than 100 million online gamers including people in the UK has demonstrated the growing and widespread risk that hackers pose to consumers and businesses. It is important people are aware of the risks so they can take the necessary steps to protect their identities and manage any compromised data," said CPP Identity Fraud Expert, Michael Lynch, in a statement. "As our live session has shown, these hacking 'skills' can be applied within minutes, so it's crucial for consumers to take steps to protect themselves."

MITM

The MITM technique taught in the live session works by the hacker intercepting communications between two people or what an individual is viewing on the internet. As a user logs in to their online account, their username and password appears on the hacker's own desktop, allowing them to store this sensitive information and access someone's account -- either immediately or at a later date.

In addition to the MITM hacking technique used, step by step video internet tutorials are thriving with hacking tutorials available for PayPal, Facebook, iPhones, Networks, Apps, MySpace, Twitter, BlackBerry and CCTV.

"The wide availability of free hacking tools is a real concern, and everyone is a target," said Robert Chapman, CEO of Firebrandtraining.co.uk, in a statement. CPP commissioned Firebrand to carry out the tutorial. "These resources are only going to grow and become more advanced, meaning that organizations and individuals must take steps to protect themselves. It's imperative to keep anti-virus and firewall software up to date and change passwords to online accounts regularly.

"Also use common sense. If security warning messages appear in your browser, don't ignore them as this could be an indicator that your network has been hacked. We demonstrated how a very basic way of hacking could be used to steal millions of pounds from the unprepared."