Understanding Clickjacking: Meaning, Types, and Safeguards

What is Clickjacking?

Clickjacking is a cyber vulnerability where attackers trick users into clicking on a link they want by disguising it as some other link. By having the user click on a malicious link, the attacker aims to access their sensitive data, transfer money, and more.

A clickjacking attack is usually carried out through an invisible web page hyperlink, which the victim clicks on, believing it to be a different page. The page that the user ends up on might be a legitimate or a malicious page, but either way, it’s controlled by the attacker.

Types of Clickjacking Attacks

There are a few common variations of the clickjacking attack that you must know about. Check out these different types of clickjacking here.

  1. Likejacking
  2. Likejacking is a type of clickjacking that primarily targets social media platforms like Facebook. In this, the user is tricked into liking a post or a page that they do not intend to, which could end up spreading malicious content across the user’s page.

  3. Cursorjacking
  4. As the name suggests, this attack involved manipulating the victim’s cursor movement. Cursorjacking replaces the user’s actual cursor with a fake one and manipulates the actions users make using the fake cursor to have them click on the malicious link.

Consequences of Clickjacking Attacks

The consequences of a clickjacking attack may vary from attacker to attacker based on their intentions. However, a few of the common consequences are as follows:

  • Data Theft: Clickjacking attackers may steal a victim’s data.

  • Financial Frauds: Victims of clickjacking may suffer from financial losses.

  • Unauthorized Activities: Attackers can perform unwanted actions on the website.

  • Privacy Concerns: The hacker may release user’s sensitive information online.

How to Prevent Clickjacking: Top Safety Measures

If you want to prevent or reduce the risk of clickjacking, you need to follow some basic prevention methods. Here are these prevention practices you must abide by:

  1. Prevent Framing
  2. Users can implement a frame-busting technique on their website, which helps them prevent framing. This is also called Content Security Policy (CSP) and is the first effective practice to ensure your website is immune from the risks of clickjacking.

  3. Establish Stronger Cybersecurity Solutions
  4. With the increasing threat of clickjacking or any other cybersecurity threats for that matter, you must use robust cybersecurity solutions for your website. Additionally, make sure you use the latest security patches and reduce the chances of security vulnerabilities.

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