Hijacking or what?

Site visitors redirected

[moname]

I have recently heard from site visitors that when they click on a link within my static site homepage they are sent to a competitor's website. This does NOT happen to all visitors. So I am thinking that they are infected with adware, malware, etc.

Another site visitor told me that when she does a search for my site and clicks she is taken to another competitors site. Is there any other way visitors can be hijacked? Say, like is there a way to have a program "watch" for a url and then redirect it? What can I do to protect my site and visitors?

Thanks in advance, what a great site. Maybe it's worth my problem to find it!

[seeber01]

Educate your visitors about parasiteware, adware, spyware programs, how to detect them, how to remove them.

Your examples all indicate the viewers as being infected.

Debs

[moname]

Thanks Debs - I am going to see if I can get our local newspaper to run an article about adware and that sort of thing. A lot of casual internet users (i.e. my visitors) don't even know where to begin to look for a solution when something like this happens to them so it would definitely be a public service!

[Sanenet]

Plus, running a series of friendly, usefull articles about home pc maintenance is great PR for your site. :)

[jomaxx]

You could TRY pointing that link to another domain and doing a server-side redirect to the original URL. Spyware could intercept that as well, but it might not.

[gi3wgk]

moname

Our local radio quite often talks about parasiteware, adware, spyware programs, also referes to help with SE.

This is usually during (3hrs) request time. So have a go with your loacal station

[moname]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

What is SE? I see it in a lot of postings but don't see it in the site glossary.

[Philosopher]

SE = Search Engine(s) ;)