Clickjacking is a malicious software that can redirect users to unintended sites when clicking on links. It can be embedded on any website and steal personal data or install harmful software. Browsers and security companies are working on a patch, but there are limited solutions for users.
Clickjacking is a form of malicious software that can apparently take over the links displayed by an internet browser for various web pages. Once this happens and once a user attempts to click on that link, the user is directed to an unintended site. In some cases, the user may be able to recognize it immediately; in other cases, the user may be totally unaware of what happened.
Clickjacking occurs when a malicious program is embedded on a website. This program hovers under a user’s mouse, according to Jeremiah Grossman, a security researcher who studies Internet issues. Once the user clicks, usually a link but it can be anywhere on the page, a new website can appear, or software can be downloaded, and clickjacking has occurred.
The possibilities for clickjacking software abuse are endless. There are a number of things that have particularly alarmed major websites and companies. The first is the fact that the program can run on virtually any website without the website owner knowing or being able to stop it. Second, clickjacking can lead the user to a mirror site while making them believe they are on the company’s website and extracting personal information, often provided free of charge. Third, no browser, except the very few that aren’t graphics-based, is immune to clickjacking software.
In addition to stealing personal data, such as bank account information, credit card information, and social security numbers, clickjacking can also install a variety of software applications onto a computer without the user’s knowledge. This software may be harmful viruses, spyware or adware. The latter may not be extremely harmful in nature, but it often presents a major problem for computers.
Details of how clickjacking works, beyond the background information already listed, are closely guarded. Browsers and internet security software companies are working on a security patch that would help correct the situation. However, this may take some time.
Other than using a text-based browser, like Lynx, there isn’t much you can do at this point. Those who use some sort of solution will find that browsing the Internet will become quite different from what they were used to. There are applications, such as NoScript, that can block Java applications and scripts from running on a browser, but this would make some websites virtually useless.
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