Just the other day, I was sharing my blog website link on my socials and someone asked me if this link was safe? Which led me to thinking, ‘vivhack’ was probably not the best blog name and does sound like malware with the word ‘hack’ having negative connotations.
However, a little light bulb lit up and there was my next blog – this blog. How can someone make sure a link is safe?
Terminology
Before starting the blog, there are three terms I tend to use interchangeably: Link, URL, Domain. However, they are different!
Link: Clickable element such as a button OR hyperlink that sends you to a website
URL( Uniform Resource Locator ): Full web address which is structured as:
- Protocol ( HTTP/HTTPS:// )
- Domain ( whatever.com )
- Path ( /home )
Domain: What is followed after https:// and tends to be the human-friendly part of the URL
🚩 Red Flags in URLs
- Typos and misspelling popular/legit domains
- Unusual TLD ( Top Level Domains )
💡Fun Fact: The Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the last part of a domain name that comes after the final period (.)
Examples: .com, .org, .gov, .net
- Shortened links ( Example: bit.ly/something ( Bitly )
- Subdomains ( Example: google.com/pwned.io , notascamer.google.com )
🪛 Tools
Virus Total: Runs analysis from trusted security vendors, redirection chains, HTTP Response headers and info ( Plus: you can check files too! )
What happens after I click a sus link? / Final Thoughts
Suspicious links tend to always be phishing scams. They will claim to be your bank or social media and have you fill in a login form. After that, your screwed ( and if all your passwords are the same – your EVEN MORE screwed ). They will have access into your money, private messages/photos and contacts ( more victims to scam ). Unfortunately, this happens all the time and I have experienced it first hand at my previous banking job and friends/family who have gotten scammed.
Another reason suspicious links are dangerous is that the website might automatically download files if your browser settings allow it. These files can contain malware, spyware, or even ransomware.
I cannot stress how important is it to practice good security habits.
vivhack 