Check the safety of links, web pages

Why check the link's safety?

Someone sent you a link (link). It looks good but is it really safe? Whether the sender is a person you know or a stranger, if it's a link you didn't expect, don't rush to click that link.

Email, SMS, Facebook, Twitter or some other social networks or collaboration tools . whatever you are using, it is possible for scammers and spammers the opportunity to send links to you. Most of these links can be secure. Otherwise, they can cause a huge disaster.

One of the fastest growing security concerns is ransomware software, which is often spread by people who accidentally clicked on dangerous links. Malware and phishing are also big risks.

Be wary of all your online activities, and some help tools can help you with this.

What can link testing tools do?

There are two types of URLs.

1. The URL has a standard length, starting with www, followed by the site name and ending with .com or some other top-level domain.
2. Shortened URL, such as goo.gl/V4jVrx.

The link you get is a standard or shortened URL that doesn't matter. If it is dangerous in any way, the link checker will warn you about this. If the links take you to a harmful site, the link checker will bookmark this page immediately. Likewise, direct links to malware, ransomware and other risks should also be reported with these tools.

Some websites are available to help you discover the truth about those 'cunning' links. The following 4 sites are all your favorite options, but you should also check with multiple pages at any time, to make sure you get the most accurate results.

Tools to check link safety

1. Kaspersky VirusDesk (virusdesk.kaspersky.com)

If you want to receive security recommendations from world-renowned security company Kaspersky, you should try their VirusDesk. This is a tool with two purposes: Don't just check links to safe websites, but also to check suspicious files. Easily, it provides both of these features via a dedicated paste / drag and drop link field.

To use Kaspersky VirusDesk to check the link, enter the URL and click Scan. You will quickly be notified if the target URL is safe. If you have a reason to disagree with the 'Safe' result , you can click the ' I disagree with the scan results ' button. This will remind Kaspersky researchers to learn more. They will tell you about new findings via email, if you leave your address.

2. Google Transparency Report (transparencyreport.google.com)

Google may not be the most secure company in the world, but Google provides a very useful link checking service. Google's Transparency Report service provides a standard field where you can enter the URL you are interested in.

 https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search?url=quantrimang.com 

You just need to replace quantrimang.com with the URL of the website or link you want to check, then paste it into the address bar of the browser. A few seconds later, the result - collected by Google's web crawler - will tell you whether the site is trusted.

Along with malware (malware), the Google Transparency Report will warn you about phishing risks. Are you concerned about accidentally providing your personal information? Phishing may be a bigger concern than malware, so make sure that the site you are trying to access does not steal your identity.

3. Other tools

Another simple way is to use the hosts-file.net service. Just enter the site name in the search box and press the Search button, the system's database will let you know if the test site has been used to spread malware or phishing attacks. HpHosts gives you more detailed information than Google Safe Browsing.

Two other excellent services are safeweb.norton.com from Symantec - which indicates the safety of a website, lists threats, malware, viruses, security risks . and unmaskparasites.com - verify the safety of the whole site and provide a detailed list of links and its security (safe).

Many security suites are also included with the browser through add-ons to check links when you visit. They work quite well in scanning your search results and adding icons to indicate whether the link is safe or not. You can download the AVG LinkScanner tool for Windows or Mac operating systems (for free), with Android devices you can use two free Mobilation Android apps or Lookout Mobile Security . Both applications have a function to block malicious links on devices running Android.

Unfortunately for Apple iPhone and iPad users, even though social scams have been proven to be possible on non-jailbroken iOS devices, Apple does not allow test applications. Such links.

These are the best link testing tools. Be sure to check the links before you visit to avoid security risks with one of these tools, instead of just using tools to check that the site has any links. Any failure. That's not what you're looking for!

What you need to use is the tools that detect risks from malware, phishing and provide results that you can share with others. Make sure that these tools will provide the confirmation you need when testing potentially dangerous links.

However, this list may be incomplete. Do you have any other link testing tools you'd like to share with us? Have you been attacked by a dangerous link and lost data because of it? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below!

See more:

1. How to identify secure links before clicking
2. Trick to check the true link of the shortlink quickly
3. How to know for sure a safe file before downloading?