How to protect yourself from clickjacking scams

by Burton Kelso, The Tech Expert

You click buttons when you visit websites daily – to share, buy, interact. But what if those clicks weren't going where you thought they were? Welcome to clickjacking, the latest cyber scam that allows attackers to manipulate your online actions without you even realizing it. This guide shows various ways to protect yourself from clickjacking. Here's what you need to know.
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What Is Clickjacking?
Clickjacking works when criminals hijack links, buttons, and clickable parts of a website. Attackers place transparent layers over a website, which causes you to click a malicious link instead of the one you thought you were clicking. For example, let's say I visit a website to download a free e-book. Instead of clicking on the link to download the e-book, there is an overlay on that link that downloads malware or a keylogger instead.

Instead, the links you click give attackers access to your accounts, personal data, and even your entire computer or device. What makes clickjacking such a serious threat is that the overlays occur on the actual website and not a spoofed version that a scammer would setup. Criminals have figured out if you’re on a reputable site, you’re likely to let your guard down and expect to be safe.

How does Clickjacking occur?  There are a variety of ways criminals can trick you with clickjacking, such as:
 
Transparent or hidden overlays
Click event dropping (clicking appears to not work, but you’re actually clicking an invisible malicious link)
Scrolling with a malicious pop-up
Cropping (only attacks specific controls on the page)
What makes clickjacking so dangerous is that it can bypass antivirus software. Since these attacks happen on reputable sites and may not always download anything, traditional antivirus may not detect them.
 
 
How to Protect Yourself from Clickjacking
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from clickjacking attacks is to simply keep your web browsers up to date. Despite clickjacking being fairly new, browser developers are actively working on security fixes to help protect users. It’s also important to keep any browser plugins/extensions updated as well. Attackers often use plugins that already make changes to how a site functions to overlay their own malicious code.

Pay attention to your clicks and website prompts. Does your favorite site suddenly have a prompt to confirm an action when it never has before? It could be clickjacking. While confirmations are common on websites, it should be a red flag if a site never had them before. Test things out by clicking other buttons or links to see if there are confirmations on all of them.
 
While clickjacking can occur on legitimate websites, it’s an issue on spoofed or fake websites. Make sure you’re correctly typing in the URL or web address.  A single typo could cost you.
 
Hopefully, this will give you tips to help you stay safe from clickjacking scams. By staying informed and taking these precautions, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to clickjacking scams. If you have any questions, please reach out. I'm always available.
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