Cyberattacks on social networking websites such as Facebook doubled in 2010 from the prior year, SecurityNewsDaily reported.

As the proliferation of social-media applications continues, more hackers are targeting the popular websites with spam, malware and phishing attacks, according to Sophos Ltd.’s 2011 Security Threat Report.

“Once you break into a Facebook account, it’s a treasure trove,” said Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant with Sophos. “The user has laid out their personal information for you, including a long list of friends and relationships.”

Many hackers trick users into disclosing personal information and then sell that content to advertisers or use it to conduct criminal acts, such as identify theft. The report said that because Facebook doesn’t screen third-party applications on its site, rogue applications are allowed to roam freely, preying on a user base of about 600 million people.

“Clickjacking,” which occurs when hackers trick users into clicking on veiled malicious links, is one of the most prominent threats that emerged in the past year, and it is expected to continue thriving on social networks, the report said.

In June 2010, a Sophos poll found that 95 percent of respondents wanted Facebook to do more to prevent certain attacks.

“The social media site, however, is either unable or unwilling to invest the necessary resources to stamp it out,” the report said.