There is to be an increase in man in the middle (MITM) phishing attacks in the future, according to the internet security company RSA, reports Computer Weekly.

An MITM attack features a fake website that pilfers personal information, usually financial.

The statement came after RSA discovered that there are free hacking kits being distributed around the internet.

Andrew Moloney, the director of financial services security at RSA, told the site: "Instead of selling the software, they [cyber criminals] get a copy of every set of personal information that the phishers obtain.

There are now "far more criminals out there phishing for personal information", he added.

Not very many of the perpetrators of such attacks are apprehended, especially as they are usually in a different country than the people or institutions that they target.

The software necessary to launch MITM attacks used to be worth up to $500, according to RSA.

RSA works with over 90 percent of the Fortune 500 companies.