Jun 12, 2023

Is This URL Safe?

A website is is this URL safe to visit when it shows a closed padlock icon and starts with “https.” The extra “S” in the URL means that your communication with the site is encrypted. This protects your privacy and helps keep hackers from eavesdropping on your information or hijacking your web browser.

You can also check a link’s safety by hovering the cursor over it. Doing this can reveal hidden text that reveals warning signs, such as letters that look like other letters (such as Cyrillic or Latin), numbers that look like letters (like “0”), or the presence of a shortened link.

Some web browsers also display warnings for dangerous sites when you mouse over a link. If the warnings appear, avoid visiting the site.

Demystifying URL Safety: How to Assess and Verify Website Security

Other tools that you can use to check whether a URL is safe include Google’s Safe Browsing site status tool, VirusTotal, hpHosts, and PhishTank. These tools scan a suspect URL against a wide variety of top-tier antivirus engines and website scanning services to determine whether the site is likely to be malicious.

You can also safely copy a URL by clicking the mouse over it and pressing Control + C (PC) or Command + C (Mac). Then you can paste the copied URL into a chat or email to see whether it is safe to click. If you do decide to click a suspicious link, be sure to follow the tips in this article to protect yourself online.