Just one wrong click can make you the victim of a cyber-attack! Don’t let that happen to you by following these simple steps
380 new websites are created every minute, according to estimates from Mill For Business! So, how do you know which ones to trust or avoid?
Some people only trust a handful of well-known sites for shopping or entertainment. But by doing so, they’re missing all the great stuff, deals, discounts, services, content, products, and media that new websites and startups can offer.
So, the better approach for netsurfing would be to learn how to weed out malicious websites from safe ones. If you’re an employer, you also need to train your employees to help them understand the various types of online risks. And it is not even a rocket science to detect a fraud site.
In this article, we have covered five tips you can follow to find out and avoid malicious websites instantly. So, without further delay, let’s take a step forward in the direction of cybersecurity.
Use Reputable Online Security Tools and Extensions
Let’s start with the easiest tip. There are tools and extensions available online that can help you detect malicious websites. If the site contains viruses, trojan horses, spyware, rootkit, computer worms, malicious JavaScript’s, etc., these tools can alert you about such risks.
- Use Google Transparency Report. Simply write down the website URL here, and it will let you know if the website contains malware.
- Install free extensions to your browsers to detect the malicious site even before visiting it.
How to Install a Security Extension in Google Chrome:
- Go to the Chrome Web Store.
2. Search for extensions such as Netcraft Extension, Malware & URL Scanner, Anti Malware Subzero, Webroot Filtering, etc.
3. Click on Add to Chrome and activate it.
How to Install a Security Extension in Firefox
- Type about:addons in the Firefox address bar.
2. Search for the extensions, as mentioned above.
3. A new window will pop-up. Select one of the suitable add-ons and add it to Firefox.
4. Enable the add-on after it has successfully installed.
Check for the Padlock Icon in the Web Address Bar
Now that you decide to open the website, the very first thing you should notice is the padlock icon in the address bar. You can see the padlock (lock symbol) can be grey or green.
So, what exactly does that padlock symbol mean? It shows that the website owner has installed an SSL/TLS Certificate on their website, which enables a secure HTTPS connection. This means that all data transfers between your browser and the website will be encrypted using the secure algorithm. It also helps to ensure that all of the data is routed to the intended website’s server only! If anyone breaks the internet’s connection and intercepts your data, all they will get is a ciphertext version of your data that can’t be interpreted, modified, or stolen!
Hence, it’s always important to check for the padlock sign in the address bar before inputting any personal or financial information on the website. If you see “Not secure” written in the front of the domain name (instead of padlock symbol), be highly cautious writing anything sensitive on such a website.
Bonus point: If you’re using Safari, Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge, you might also see the company’s legally registered name in the address bar, in the green color. It represents the highest level of security (obtained by using an extended validated certificate). 99.99% times of such websites represent the genuine business.
Check All Domains to Ensure They’re Legit
Some perpetrators buy domain names resembling legitimate domain names/businesses with the goal of driving you and other users to those sites via phishing emails or redirects. They design their malicious websites to look exactly like (or close to) the original by using the same colors, text styling, logo, images, content arrangement, and even the same wordings.
Once you’re on the site, you’ll be asked to share your login credentials, financial information, or personally identifiable information (PII). Such details would be used by perpetrators to execute different types of fraud. For example, they might buy domain names such as wel1sfargo.com, app1e.com, amaz0n.com, cha5e.com, go0gle.com, etc. If you’re in a hurry or not vigilant enough, you might not see the small difference in the domain address and become a victim of one of the spoofing attacks. So, pay close attention to the URL.
Review an Organization’s Business Policies and Site Reviews
Business Information: Check out the privacy policy and the return policy of the business. Also, check the contact page of the website. You should be aware of how and whom to contact for issues regarding the aftersales service, return and refunds, shipping delays, wrong or inferior goods, etc. All legit businesses have a physical address, office phone number, and email address. The email address should have the website’s domain name.
The official email should not be from Gmail, Yahoo, etc. but have the domain name after “@.” For example, sales@companyname.com, contact@domain.com, etc.
Reviews: Check out the customer reviews of business or website. Simply Google the “business name + customer review” or use the sites like yelp.com, manta.com, bbb.org, trustpilot.com, us.reviews.com, consumeraffairs.com, shooperapproved.com, sitejabber.com, etc.
You can also find reviews from social media sites. If the website doesn’t have a popular social media presence, it might also be a sign of a fraudulent business.
Look for Suspicious Content on the Website
When you visit a website, you may notice that the content of the website seems slightly odd. For example, it could be riddled with errors, have filler text (lorem ipsum), or use urgent language. Here are a few suggestions to help you avoid fallings for fake websites:
Look for Emotional Triggers
There would be a sense of urgency, threat, or something too lucrative to be true. The site will try to trigger your emotional response, i.e., either fear or excitement. It can include language that focuses on:
gaining instant financial rewards by playing games, lottery or online casino,
making a large sum of money by working part-time,
suspending your account or service contract, or
telling you that your computer is severely infected by virus and you must install their anti-virus tools.
These types of messages/pop-ups lure you to share your financial information or PII. Sometimes there are malware hidden in them, which automatically gets installed in your system. So be careful while sharing or clicking anything on such platforms.
Pay Attention to the Language
You might notice usual spelling and grammatical errors on the web pages. Rare typos are okay — after all, we’re all human — but all the genuine companies make sure they have at least a basic editorial standard before publishing their content and don’t make frequent errors.
Be away of Pop-Ups and Redirects:
It’s normal to see ads on a website, especially ads related to your recent search history and search preferences. But, sometimes, the sites show unusual numbers of advertisements and pop-ups that are unrelated to your search preference. There would be links embedded in the text that can lead you to a spammy website or download malware on your computer.
Wrapping Up
Cyber-attacks aren’t going away — in fact, they are increasing. The cybercrime profits were 1.5 trillion in 2018. That’s the hack of the motivation for perpetrators to find the indigenous and innovative ways to execute the attacks! This is why it’s imperative to be vigilant and alert while browsing online. As we mentioned here, some websites are poorly crafted with too many mistakes that it becomes easier for you to spot the danger. But, sometimes, malicious websites are made so meticulously that it needs persistent alertness from the users’ end.
We hope our article helped you learn to recognize the obvious signs of malicious websites and understand how to mitigate the dangers associated with them. Safe web surfing!