What is Clickjacking? How to Protect Your Business

Hackers use clickjacking to fool people into downloading malware or revealing confidential information. There’s usually a hidden frame over an innocuous web page. The malicious invisible frame gets activated when users click on the web page.

Sensitive data can be stolen and accessed, resulting in reputational and financial harm for small businesses. Additionally, there are penalties associated with data protection laws such as The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Implementing a content security policy frame offers some effective safeguards.

What is Clickjacking?

One common clickjacking technique includes the use of a decoy button or link. The user thinks they are clicking on a visible element, but they are actually interacting with a concealed malicious iframe. This could lead to the sharing of sensitive information or the activation of a hidden webcam without their knowledge.

Common Types of Clickjacking Attacks

Here are some clickjacking attack tactics. 

• In the classic version of clickjacking attacks, a hacker places a transparent iframe over a web page.
• Some iframes that get used are barely noticeable because hackers can set the opacity to zero on the target website.
• Some clickjacking attacks can manipulate a cursor.
• Some attackers present a video or survey featuring a concealed malicious video player disguised beneath an innocent-looking user interface. A notable instance of this is observed in situations where Google publishers use clickjacking.

How Clickjacking Can Affect Your Business

This can lead to hackers getting access to sensitive business data. Stolen information can be used for identity theft or sold on the dark web. Understanding more about cybersecurity terms can be beneficial in recognizing and preventing such threats.

Severe Breaches

 Other impacts on businesses include clickjacking, which can serve as an entry point for more serious breaches. Hackers can leverage clickjacking vulnerabilities to infiltrate business systems and redirect users to harmful pages.

ErodeTrust

Clickjacking can undermine trust in a small business, potentially leading to decreased revenue, increased customer churn, and damage to its reputation.

Recognizing Clickjacking

Here are a few things you should be looking for to recognize an attack.

• If clicking on a landing page redirects you to a different site, triggers downloads, or opens new tabs, you could be the victim of an attack.
• Frequent pop-ups on a website could be another clear indicator.
• It’s another red flag if your cursor is acting strangely, like it’s misaligned.
•  Poor website performance is another element you should be looking at. Unresponsiveness and slower load times can be the result.

Clickjacking Prevention Strategies

Here are a few proven methods to prevent this problem. Don’t forget the security policy frame enhances security.

1. The CSP is a security standard. Website owners who use it can tell which content is legitimate. It’s a great way to prevent an attack.
2. Software updates are essential. That’s particularly true for plugins and web browsers. Remember to include patches for any security vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
3. Remember to enable any built-in browser security features to protect against this issue.

Utilizing the X-Frame-Options Header

Frame-Ancestors Directive 

This controls which websites can embed content. Frame ancestors can list different domains that are allowed. It allows the resources that a browser can load for any given page.

X-Frame-Options Header

This tool can prevent click-jacking attacks by ensuring a page is not embedded into other websites. Developers can set it in their service configuration and or web application framework.

Updating and Patching Web Applications

Closing security gaps so you don’t visit malicious web pages through click-jacking is essential.

• Regularly updating modern web applications and browsers to ensure security policy features are current is necessary.
• Take advantage of software updates that include patches and update these regularly.

Conducting a Clickjacking Test

Performing a test to access a website’s vulnerability against attacks from invisible iframes means  taking advantage of the following guide:

1. You’ll need to understand the invisible iframe, which is one of the standard methods used.
2.  You can choose from several different test tools like OWASP.
3. Next, create a test page that includes an embedded iframe. You can utilize automated scanners such as OWASP ZAP to assist you.
4.  Documenting all of your testing processes, findings, and vulnerabilities is essential. Consider tweaking your x frame options.
5.  Remember to schedule regular tests. New vulnerabilities are constantly emerging with time.

Best Practices in Web Page Design to Prevent Clickjacking

Designing a landing page involves using X-frame options. There are three values you can set for this header. The value ‘Deny’ prevents your website’s pages from being displayed in an iframe, which is an effective way to safeguard against a clickjacking attack.

The Content Security Policy (CSP) enables you to create a whitelist of sources from which you can download content, such as images, style sheets, and scripts.

Responding to a Clickjacking Incident

Here are the steps to take if your business is attacked.

• An immediate response is essential where you identify and isolate what systems are affected.
•  You need to disable and remove any malicious code and identify involved parties.
•  Reset session tokens and change passwords.
•  Patch up any vulnerabilities and implement updates to your web platform and software.

Over the long term, you need to update and implement a Content Security Policy and other headers like X-frame options.

Building a Culture of Cybersecurity Awareness

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_tz0O5-cndE%3Fsi%3DRO8tsQSMplZMDLdh

Interactive training sessions are an excellent way to educate employees to prevent a clickjacking attack. Incorporate these sessions and others about cyber security threats into onboarding. 

FAQs: Clickjacking

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.

What is a likejacking attack?

This is a form of clickjacking where people are tricked into clicking the ‘Like’ button on Facebook or other social media platforms.

Is clickjacking serious?

This is serious because it can trick people into turning over confidential data or allowing access to their devices.  

Can clickjacking affect all types of websites?

 In technical terms, this type of attack can impact any website. Nevertheless, websites that use content security policy headers, x-frame options headers, and frame-busting scripts are more resilient to such threats.

How do you avoid visiting a malicious page?

Verify the URL before you click on it. Look for common tricks like misspellings or unusual domain extensions like .net instead of .com. 

Type the website address you want to visit in the address bar directly.

How do security policy frame ancestors help in clickjacking defense?

Content Security Policy has a frame-ancestors directive that controls the websites that can frame the content. It prevents hackers from using an iframe to mislead users.

Image: Envato Elements, Depositphotos