[WEB4LIB] Cyberjacking, pagejacking

[Andrew Mutch]

The answer to this is ... it depends.

My understanding of cyberjacking is that a "fake" site copies the code of a
legitimate site and then masquerades as the real site to steal traffic.
This is normally done by submitting the "fake" site to the various search
engines with the goal of displacing the listings for the legimitate site and
the hope that a person seeking to visit the real site won't know the
difference -- i.e. http://www.notford.com/~stolen/  instead of
http://www.ford.com
So, when someone visits the cyberjacked site, they are actually visiting a
different URL - the original site hasn't been altered in any way.

If the filter normally blocks certain pornographic links, it should also
block those links from the cyberjacked site.  However, each filter responds
differently and some filters may allow the new windows to spawn before it
actually blocks the site.  The spawning is done using Javascript code either
in the link or in the newly spawned window.  So, if the filter allows the
new window to open, you may still get the cascade of windows - even if it
blocks the site from displaying.

Andrew Mutch
Library System Technician
Waterford Township Public Library
Waterford, MI


Catherine Buck Morgan wrote:

> Does anyone know if filtering will prevent the links on a cyberjacked
> page from opening?
>
> FYI, a cyberjacked page is a legitimate web page that has been
> "hijacked" and had coding added that leads to sites unrelated to the web
> page. Most frequently, the sites are pornographic, and several windows
> open up or else shutting one window automatically opens another.
>
> This is purely an academic question... Thanks.
> --
> Catherine Buck Morgan
> Automation Librarian
> South Carolina State Library
> EMAIL: catherine at leo.scsl.state.sc.us
> Phone: 803.734.8666 Fax 803.734.8676
> Home page: http://www.state.sc.us/scsl/
> Web catalog: http://www.state.sc.us/scsl/scslweb/welcome.html
>
> The opinions stated herein are not necessarily those of SCSL.