Jul 24, 2018 - Avoid malicious sites by learning how to verify if a website is safe to ensure safe online browsing. These three tips show you how. McAfee WebAdvisor is your trusty companion that helps keep you safe from threats while you search and browse the web. WebAdvisor safeguards you from malware and phishing attempts while you surf, without impacting your browsing performance or experience. Security Check. Checks to see if your firewall and anti-virus are activated before you.
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When you perform business online, you run the risk of coming across fake websites that may steal your money, harm your computer and even steal your identity. Testing a website against some safety benchmarks to ensure that the page is authentic can protect you from phishing, spoofing and identity theft as well as malicious software such as viruses, key loggers and spyware.
1.Check the address displayed in the address bar. You may have clicked a link that appeared valid, but be sure there are no extra or missing letters or numbers in the current address. Many scammers add numbers in front of the Web address, use the wrong extension or slightly misspell the name, such as 'http:/62.9.211.76/bofa.com,' 'irs.com' (instead of irs.gov) or 'www.wpaypal.com.'
2.Consider how you accessed the website. If you clicked on a link included in a suspicious email message, such as one stating that your account was compromised and asking you to log in and confirm information, it may be a scam. Visit the website directly by typing the known URL into the address bar.
3.Make sure it is a secure site if you are making a purchase or entering identifying information. The Web address will start with 'https://' to denote that the site is secure and a padlock icon appears in the address bar or the bar on the bottom of the window.
4.Click around the site. Many counterfeit websites display an authentic-looking main page, but you may not be able to click through to their 'About' or 'Site Map' pages, or they provide no contact information.
References (2)
About the Author
Tricia Goss' credits include Fitness Plus, Good News Tucson and Layover Magazine. She is certified in Microsoft application and served as the newsletter editor for OfficeUsers.org. She has also contributed to The Dollar Stretcher, Life Tips and Childcare Magazine.
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- Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
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Goss, Tricia. 'How to Test the Validity or Authenticity of a Website.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/test-validity-authenticity-website-58847.html. Accessed 17 June 2019.
Goss, Tricia. (n.d.). How to Test the Validity or Authenticity of a Website. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/test-validity-authenticity-website-58847.html
Goss, Tricia. 'How to Test the Validity or Authenticity of a Website' accessed June 17, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/test-validity-authenticity-website-58847.html
Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.
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Have you been phished? Whether you use a Mac, Windows, or Linux, iOS or Android, there's a real strong chance that somebody has sent you an e-mail or text message in an attempt to get at your personal information. Data means money, and you're a big ol' dollar sign to the bad guys.
The best recommendation I can offer is to browse smart. That means you ought to always double-check the URL of your banking site, social networking site, and e-mail site before you log in. Most browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer, now include a color-change on the left side of the location bar to indicate that the site has been verified as legitimate. It's always a good idea to type in the URL by hand, and to never follow links from an e-mail. Also, checking for HTTPS instead of the less-secure HTTP is a good idea, although HTTPS isn't foolproof.
But what about that link to some ostensibly hilarious video your best friend just posted to Twitter? There are several services you can use to verify a link. Google Safe Browsing is a good place to start. Type in this URL http://google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site= followed by the site you want to check, such as google.com or an IP address. It will let you know if it has hosted malware in the past 90 days.
Another similar service is hpHosts. Enter a site into the search box and its database will tell you if the site has been used to distribute malware or phishing attacks. HpHosts gives you more-detailed information than Google Safe Browsing, if you're into that kind of thing. Two other excellent services are Norton Safe Web, from Symantec, and Unmasked Parasites. Pop in the URL, and you're good to go. Or if the site comes back as unsafe, don't go.
Many security suites come with browser add-ons to check links you click on the fly, and those work fairly well at scanning your search results and adding icons to indicate if a link is safe or not. If you don't have a suite, AVG LinkScanner (download for Windows | Mac)is a free add-on that works with both Windows and Mac, and AVG's free Mobilation Android app (download) or Lookout Mobile Security (download) will block malicious links on your Android device.
Sadly, iPhone and iPad users are out of luck. Even though phishing over social networking has been proven to work on iOS devices that haven't been jailbroken, Apple doesn't allow such link-checking apps. Feel free to recommend your favorite in the comments below.
UPDATED: The Google Safe Browsing instructions and URL have been fixed.
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