What is Hijacking? Definition, Examples, and Prevention

Highjacked means that something has been taken over or commandeered by someone else, often without the owner's consent. In the context of a website or web page, if a hacker gains unauthorized access and takes control of the site or page, they have "hijacked" it.

For example, if a group of hackers gain access to a popular news website and replace all of the content with their own propaganda, they have hijacked the site. Similarly, if a malicious program (malware) takes over a computer's web browser and redirects all of its traffic to a fake website controlled by the hacker, the browser has been hijacked.

In general, the term "hijack" is used to describe any situation where someone or something takes control of something that doesn't belong to them, often for nefarious purposes.