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This tip is about the how to Ensure that Shortened Link is Safely Accessible. So read this free guide, How to Ensure that Shortened Link is Safely Accessible step by step. If you have query related to same article you may contact us.
How to Ensure that Shortened Link is Safely Accessible – Guide
At some point in our (digital) life, we will find shortened links or URLs, for example on social networks, that you cannot avoid. There is no doubt that they are very useful. For example, in a tweet with the famous 140-character limit, a shortened URL creates space to write something else. They also offer other properties, but one of which has become a double-edged sword: you don’t know where it will take you. You have to be careful here. A shortened link is really a mystery. You have no idea which site you’re going to or what might appear on your screen. Therefore, these shortened URLs are the perfect malware and phishing tool. Click on it at your own risk and expense.
However, there is no need to panic. Just because you run into them every day on Twitter and they might be in for a nasty surprise doesn’t mean they’re all booby-trapped. A few simple precautions and common sense can avoid a disaster on your computer. First, be careful with the source of the URL. If it’s an online media channel or blog that tweeted the title of an article and a link to it, it’s reasonable to assume that the link will take you to the article. So click now! However, if you come across a message from a known (or unknown) contact that says, “Hey, you look great in this picture!” And with a shortened link, be very careful.
How to Make sure a link is safe with Norton Safe Web
If you want to check for a suspicious link, start with a trusted name in online security – Norton. Another way to scan a URL for malware is to rely on online security giant Norton.
To scan a URL for malware, simply paste the URL into the verification field and click the search button button. Norton Safe Web will display a rating and community comments about the site. If you want to add your own voice, you can create an account and join the link checker community. As well as its browser-based link checker. Norton Safe Web offers two additional tools:
Check links with ScanURL
Another, you should look at us ScanURL, an independent website that takes seriously sending your link query over a secure HTTPS connection. Although the spam link checker supports ads, the results are good. You can also provide an explanation of where you saw the URL to help other users avoid it.
ScanURL searches Google Safe Browsing Diagnostic, PhishTank, and Web of Trust and provides Whois record information for the site being consulted. The results returned will instantly indicate whether you should visit the site and are accompanied by a ScanURL recommendation. Avoid the site if the results list it as dangerous.
Various websites (including some in this list) and tools are checked by ScanURL as it groups the results. Once the ScanURL results page loads, a permanent URL will be applied. You can copy and paste this to share with friends, family or other interested person for them to refer to.
PhishTank – the phishing links checker
Instead of focusing on malware, PhishTank alerts you to phishing sites. As soon as you enter a URL suspected of harboring a phishing operation, PhishTank will check it. If the link is already “in the tank”, you will get instant results. Otherwise, the website will provide a tracking number. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple to check a phishing link as it is to automatically check some malware links…
Are you concerned about websites that may trick you into disclosing personal information? If you have any knowledge of identity theft, you will know that it is often due to phishing operations. PhishTank is always worth a visit to check if a link is secure. PhishTank is operated by OpenDNS. Anyone can contribute to the site and check links sent by other users.
Check a security link with the Google Transparency Report
Google also offers a useful link verification service. The Transparency Report service provides a standard field into which you can enter the URL you are concerned about. A few seconds later, the results – captured by Google’s web crawlers – will tell you if the site is trustworthy.
Along with malware, Google Transparency Report will alert you to phishing risks. Worried about accidentally giving out your personal information? Phishing is potentially a bigger concern than malware, so it makes sense to make sure the website you’re planning to visit isn’t about to steal your identity.
Use Full Virus Security Link Checker
Offering a browser-based all-in-one scanning tool, VirusTotal analyzes “suspicious files and URLs to detect types of malware”. Scan results are then shared with the online security community. Just visit the site, click on URL, paste in the link and search.
A simple tool that will give you instant results, VirusTotal can also check link security in your Android and Windows apps. For developers, VirusTotal offers both public and private APIs. Although limited to non-commercial projects, they can be used to create your own file and link verification tool on your website.
PSafe Dfndr Lab Suspicious Link Checker
Easy to use, PSafe’s dfndr lab tool helps you test a security link with a single click. Just copy the URL you’re looking at from an email, webpage, instant message, etc. for the search tool. Click Check URL to see the result. If the website is found in the dfndr lab database, the website will be displayed where you can or cannot trust it. Otherwise, or if the site is not found, you are encouraged to be careful: “If you are not 100% confident in the URL or site, you should not click on it”.
Unlike the other link checkers listed here, dfndr lab relies on machine learning to detect “potentially unsafe URLs”. In addition, links are crossed with suspicious URLs from other resources, while internal analysis is performed if other tests are inconclusive.
Find out if a link is safe with URLVoid
Finally, there is URLVoid, a tool to help you “detect potentially malicious websites”. As with the other tools, just enter the suspicious URL and wait for the site to check. You will find information about the URL and its history, any black marks on it and where the site is located, if that information has been made public.
A list of services that URLVoid uses to generate its results is also displayed, with famous names including Avira, BitDefender and PhishTank among them. If you need to scan an IP address, URLVoid offers a complementary service, IPVoid. For developers, URLVoice also provides APIvoid so you can create your own link safety checker.
Final note
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