Nearly four out of five online banking customers now ignore emails that purport to be from their bank, according to data commissioned by RSA Security.

The annual study, conducted by market researchers Infosurv, found that a lack of trust in such emails had risen from 70 per cent in 2004 to 79 per cent.

Nearly two thirds of those questioned had not seen any drop in the number of phishing emails they received.

The research also found that people want to have their online banking monitored. Nearly nine out of 10 people said that they would be happy to be monitored while online, and 59 per cent felt that their bank should contact them if it suspects suspicious activity on their accounts.

Chris Young, senior vice president and general manager of RSA Cyota Consumer Solutions, said: "It is important to preserve the speed, simplicity, ease of use and convenience of the online banking channel.

"Consumers seem to feel comfortable with the notion of their financial institution monitoring their online activity and contacting them when something suspicious is detected, just as they have become accustomed to in the credit card space."

Although the banking community has been making noises about introducing stronger identity management systems, early progress has been slow and the survey shows little support for some products.

Fewer than half of those questioned felt comfortable using a hardware token to access their accounts, although nearly three quarters want some form of stronger security.