Have you been Affected by ClickJacking?
There has been quite a bit of news lately about a type of hacking called ClickJacking. This is not a good thing and if you have been affected it could have cost you money. Hackers are setting people up for fraudulent purchases and they are also stealing their personal information. This can include things like credit card numbers, addresses, and more.
It is not an easy type of attack to trace because it will make it seem like the person they attack intended to do exactly what they made them do. The good news is there have been a few breakthroughs when it comes to ClickJacking. There have even been a few people arrested for their participation in these fraudulent acts.
How Does ClickJacking Work?
Basically ClickJacking is done when a hacker creates a button on someone’s webpage that does not do what it was originally intended to do. It could be as simple as a submit button used for signing up for a newsletter or for a site itself. What happens is instead of submitting the order you intend or a free trial of some sorts you may have just ordered a subscription to some magazine or something else.
They use an art of overlaying an invisible page over the page you were trying to see and this give them the way in to steal your information. They have been able to use this trick to get people to make their social network profiles public instead of private, to force twitter followers, forced link sharing, and many other things.
They have also been caught using a malware called DnsChanger for ads that are displayed for clicks or for views. When this is done the hacker steals the money the site you are on would have earned and opens your personal computer up for a serious virus infection.
Even MAC is at risk because this type of attack comes through the browser. It does not matter what type of operating system you are using you are at risk of ClickJacking. The worst part is the software they install will keep you from being able to get to the anti-virus sites that can actually remove it. If you don’t monitor your computer regularly, chances are you will not even know it has happened.
How Can You Protect Yourself from ClickJacking?
You have a few choices when it comes to protection from ClickJacking. You want to start by keeping your eyes open for the type of page you get redirected to if you click on a link or a button. Check to be sure you are still within the domain name you are trying to be within. You don’t want to see some funky URL or something you don’t recognize after you click. The ClickJacking URL could be very similar, but it will not be exactly the same.
If you are running Firefox you can use the NoScript add on to help block any dangerous scripts. This may make it so you have to tell your browser if you want to watch a YouTube video, but it will protect you from ClickJacking.
Another option if you become a bit desperate is to switch to a text only browser. The most popular is Lynx and it is just what it sounds like, a browser that only shows the text. This is a bit extreme, but it will put your mind at ease.
If you do become infected you should be aware that the FBI has a full taskforce dedicated to this issue. They are calling it “Operation Ghost Click” and you can use the materials on their website to help find out if you have been infected by ClickJacking or not.
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