At some point in our digital lives, 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. ..

Twitter users beware: don’t click links in unsolicited messages ..

Norton is a trusted name in online security, and another way to scan a URL for malware is to rely on online security giant Norton.

Norton Safe Web is a browser-based security tool that offers two additional tools: Norton Safe Web is a browser-based security tool that offers two additional tools:

  1. The link checker community, which allows users to share their findings and experiences with other users.
  2. The rating and community comments section, where users can rate the site and share their thoughts on it.

Norton Safe Search Extension is a Chrome extension that provides fast safe search functionality to your browser. It allows you to quickly and easily find information by typing in a few simple keywords into the address bar.

Norton Home is introducing a new page extension that will allow users to search for content within all search engine results without having to worry about the safety of their information. This extension will make it easier for people to find the information they’re looking for, without having to worry about any potential risks. ..

Another website you should look at is ScanURL. They take seriously sending your link query over a secure HTTPS connection and their spam link checker supports ads. You can also provide an explanation of where you saw the URL to help other users avoid it.

ScanURL provides instant information on whether a site is safe to visit, based on data from Google Safe Browsing, PhishTank, and Web of Trust. If the site is listed as dangerous, ScanURL recommends avoiding it. ..

ScanURL is a website and tool that is used to group the results of various online searches. 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 is a website that alerts you to phishing sites. If 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.

Google offers a 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.

Google Transparency Report will alert you to phishing risks. If you’re 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. ..

VirusTotal offers a browser-based all-in-one scanning tool that detects types of malware. Results are then shared with the online security community. Just visit the site, click on URL, paste in the link and search.

VirusTotal is a simple tool that can be used to check the security of files and links. It has both public and private APIs that can be used by developers to create their own verification tool. ..

The dfndr lab tool is easy to use and can help 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.”

DFndr Lab uses 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.

URLVoid is a tool that helps you “detect potentially malicious websites.” 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. ..

URLVoid is a URL-based security service that uses URLVoid to generate its results. Some of the services that URLVoid uses to generate its results are: Avira, BitDefender, and PhishTank. If you need to scan an IP address, URLVoid offers a complementary service called IPVoid. For developers, URLVoice also provides an APIvoid so you can create your own link safety checker.

Final note

Shortened link security is a critical issue that every website must take care of. This guide will show you how to ensure that shortened links are safe and accessible. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask us. Additionally, please share this article with your friends and family so they can also benefit from its information.