How To Spot Malicious Links

In order to trick users into opening spam emails and harmful attachments, malware authors craft spam emails that appear to be legitimate. Most of the time, we get convinced and click on the attachments, which leads us to malicious websites or allows installing malware code. What could be the best indicator of whether a link is malicious or legitimate, then?

1.??? If you find a bunch of strange characters in it

Most of the time, malware writers use a method called URL Encoding to disguise the malicious sites' true location. By doing this, malware hackers can hide instructions and other malicious actions inside the link, making it impossible for users to read or comprehend. Therefore, if the URL contains a combination of symbols, be cautious.

2.??? Consider Adding a Second Opinion Malware Scanner

Make sure there is a second malware

scanner acting as the second line of defence. In the unlikely event that the

primary antivirus program is unable to identify the presence of malware, the

secondary malware scanner will assist in scanning the malware. This will

prevent the malware from evading detection.

3.??? Links through unsolicited emails

When an email with the subject line

"Verify Your Information" or "Enter Your Information"

claims to be from a reputable bank, it is a phishing email. Avoid clicking the

link even though it appears to be legitimate because it may be a phishing email

masquerading as a legitimate one. Enter the address manually into the address

bar if you want to visit a bank's website.

4.??? Shortened Links.

Links can be shortened using services

like bit.ly, which have become commonplace for social media compliance.

However, to conceal the true purpose of their links, malware authors and

distributors also use link-shortening techniques. Without clicking on the link,

you can use some specific tools to view the link's actual target location.

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5.???Get proactive solutions from cybersecurity organizations.

They can offer products like anti-malware

and email protection suites that block malware even before entering your

system. ?This helps you to avoid malware infection by carrying out

real-time or proactive scanning periodically. Once this option is enabled, the

system resources may be used more intensively.