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Note from Dan: In order to carry out some of the testing of a link
discussed in this article, one must visit the link above to have the actual
link highlighted.
Malware writers and phishers often disguise links. The text that is
displayed on a web page can say anything. To check that a link is really
related to what you see on a web page, hover the mouse pointer over the
link. The actual hypertext for the link will be displayed in the lower left
corner of the screen on major web browsers. Try it on this link:
FreePrograms-from-BillGates.com
If using screenreading software , visit the link above and locate the same
link. Then press the application key followed by the letter r for examining
the properties of this link.
Read the hyperlink very carefully
Once you see what the hyperlink is, you need to decide if it is safe. If it
is a well-known web site that you recognize, then you can proceed. However,
the hyperlink must be read carefully. Malware writers and spammers often use
web addresses that contain the names of well-known sites or software. For
example, they might try to fool you with something like
http://www.microsoft-com.bigspammer.com/windows-xp-antivirus.html.
There are also a number of ways to obfuscate, (to make obscure or unclear),
a web address so that the real address is hidden.
This link
http://www.contentverification.com/obfuscation-attacks/
has a discussion of ways that web addresses can be obscured or made
misleading.
Check the target page of a hyperlink
There are various ways to check the target of a link. One way is to copy the
link to the clipboard and then paste it into some test feature. To copy a
link, right-click it (not left-click) to open a context menu, then select
“Copy link address” (in Chrome), “Copy Link Location” (in Firefox), or “Copy
shortcut” (in Internet Explorer). This copies the URL to the clipboard so
that you can paste it into any search field for testing.
This article
” How to Tell If A Website Is Dangerous”
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-website-dangerous.htm
at Gizmo’s discusses a number of security sites where a link can be tested.
Sometimes the URL may be in one of the shortened formats from services like
bit.ly, goo.gl, or tinyurl.com.
This article
” Find Out Where Shortened URLs Lead To Without Clicking”
Found at
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/find-out-where-shortened-urls-lead-without-clicking.htm
gives sites that will reveal the actual URL behind a shortened link. There
is also a website to enter and unshorten short URLs at
http://www.unshorten.it/
Browser add-ons and link scanners
Of course, there are also any number of browser add-ons that can help you
check out an URL so another approach is to skip copying the URL and instead
rely on a browser feature or add-on to warn about potential bad web pages
before you actually go there.
This article
” Best Free Internet Safety Check”
Submitted by Midnight Cowboy
Found at the link below:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-internet-safety-check.htm
lists a number of browser plug-ins and extensions that will provide safety
checks for URLs. One favorite at Gizmo’s is Web of
Trust (WOT).
https://www.mywot.com/
And there you have it – how to avoid those phishing and malware links.]]>
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