Typosquatting (also known as URL hijacking) is a form of cybersquatting in which malicious actors register domain names that are similar to existing, popular website URLs. Typosquatters use these domains to attract unsuspecting users who may accidentally mistype the correct address. For example, if someone attempts to visit www.examplewebsite.com but mistakenly types www.examplwesite.com instead, they will be taken to a malicious site owned by the typosquatter rather than the intended destination.
The goal of typosquatting is usually financial gain through various means including advertising revenue, phishing scams and malware distribution campaigns designed to extract data from victims or infect their computers with viruses and ransomware programs that can damage their systems or hold crucial information for ransom payment demands. It can also be used for political purposes such as spreading false news stories about a particular political issue or candidate in order to influence public opinion and sway an election outcome in favor of one party over another.
In order to protect yourself against typosquatting attacks you should always double-check any URLs before visiting them and make sure they are spelled correctly – even minor errors like switching two letters around could land you on an illegitimate page operated by unscrupulous hackers! Additionally, it is important not only to secure your own computer with up-to-date antivirus software but also maintain good password hygiene practices such as using unique passwords for different accounts and enabling multi-factor authentication where possible so that even if attackers do manage access your credentials they will still need additional verification steps before being able to take full control over your data or finances online
