互联网(Internet)可能是一个糟糕的地方，并非所有网站都是安全的。事情可能并不总是看起来那样，因此，在单击任何超链接或URL之前，您必须采取一些基本的预防措施。这本初学者指南讨论了在单击 Web 链接、URL(URLs)或超链接之前应采取的基本预防措施。
点击网页链接前的注意事项
如果您注意到，当您阅读网页时，您经常会看到链接，例如 – TheWindowsClub或简单的www.thewindowsclub.com。你们中的大多数人可能会不假思索地点击这些链接。在这两种情况下，您将被带到真正的URL或网站https://www.thewindowsclub.com。
但是您需要小心，因为显示的文本或超链接可能会产生误导(displayed text or the hyperlink can be misleading)。举个例子，如果你现在点击TheWindowsClub.com，你可能会被带到另一个链接——在这种情况下是我们自己的子域。或者，您可以单击其他显示的链接文本，例如Windows 10，但仍会被带到www.thewindowsclub.com。再说一次，您可能会看到news.thewindowsclub.com，但会被带到www.thewindowsclub.com。
我要说明的一点是，不要只看表面价值。(The point that I am trying to make is that don’t take things at face value.)
因此，要确认链接是否安全(confirm that a link is safe or not)，您需要做的是移动鼠标指针并将其悬停在链接上(move your mouse pointer and hover it over the link)。
在浏览器的左下角，您将能够看到您实际将被带到哪里。如果你看到，域名是正版的，你可以点击超链接。
到现在为止还挺好。(So far so good.)
但是你需要做更多。点击链接后，您需要留意浏览器的地址栏(keep an eye on your browser’s address bar)，以及显示的地址。
这里的危险是，从一个看似安全的域名，您很可能会被重定向到另一个(be re-directed to another domain)可能不安全或网络钓鱼域的域。
如果地址继续保持不变，很好。但如果它突然改变到另一个域，你将不得不警惕。在继续之前，请确保新地址属于正版网站。
很好，但是如果是一个陌生的域，你怎么知道它是否安全？(Fine, but if it is an unfamiliar domain, how do you know if it is safe?)
在您的浏览器上安装这些URL Scanner 加载项之一。(URL Scanner add-ons)
当您访问链接时，这些URL扫描程序将检查您访问的网站是否安全，如果不安全，则会警告您。Windows 10 用户拥有SmartScreen的额外安全性，该功能已默认启用。如果您使用的是良好的Internet 安全套件(Internet Security Suite)，它也会阻止打开恶意链接。大多数优秀的浏览器，如Chrome、IE、Edge、Firefox等，也会阻止恶意链接打开。
单击电子邮件中的链接时，也需要采取同样的预防措施。如果您使用的是桌面电子邮件客户端，例如 Outlook，它也会在左下角显示链接。如有疑问，您可以右键单击该链接并选择复制 URL(Copy URL)并将其粘贴到记事本中以查看它。
阅读(Read)：什么是域名抢注和域名抢注？
以下是一些您不想点击的链接类型：(Here are some types of links, you don’t want to click on:)
- (Phony)可能显示其他内容但实际上会指向不同位置的虚假链接。网络钓鱼电子邮件(Phishing emails)使用各种方法来隐藏实际的URL(URLs)。
- 显示的链接将是图像，而实际链接可能不同。
- 实际链接可以使用HTML进行屏蔽。因此(Thus)，显示的文本将是http://websitename.com/，而超链接集将是http://www.othersite.com。
- 另一种方法是在链接中使用@。如果链接包含“@”符号，则您被转到的URL将是“@”符号之后的 URL。(URL)例如，如果链接是www.microsoft.com/[email protected]/?=true ，那么您将被带到的实际URL是 web.com?=true。(URL)
- 带有数字而不是网站名称的链接。示例：www.182.11.22.2.com。
阅读(Read)：如何使用在线 URL 扫描程序检查网站或 URL 是否安全(check if a Website or URL is safe using Online URL Scanners)。
One last point!
这些天来，您一定已经看到了许多显示为http://bit.ly/1UTZzTI缩短 URL(shortened URLs)。这些是我们通常使用URL Shortener 服务缩短的长(URL Shortener service)URL(URLs)。虽然短URL生成器可以帮助您在社交网络帐户上快速共享长链接，但它们构成了一个严重的危险——它们可能会隐藏恶意软件等可疑元素。
阅读(Read)：如何发现和避免深色图案(How to Spot & Avoid Dark Patterns)。
URL Expander是一种工具，可将缩短的 URL 扩展为其原始(URLs)长URL，并在此过程中发现它是否携带恶意软件。如果您不确定缩短的链接会将您带到哪里，您可以使用一些URL 扩展器服务(URL expander service)来查看完整的 URL。
Click links suspiciously and stay safe online!
这篇文章将向您展示如何识别网络钓鱼诈骗(identify Phishing scams)并避免网络钓鱼攻击(avoid Phishing attacks)。
Precautions to take before clicking on web links or URLs
The Internet can be a bad place, and not all websites are safe. Things may not always be what they seem, and it is, thereforе, imperative thаt you take some basic precautions before you cliсk on any hyperlink or URL. This beginner’s guide talks оf the basic precautions one should take before clicking on web links, URLs or hyperlinks.
Precautions to take before clicking on web links
If you have noticed, when you are reading a web page, you will often see links as, for instance – TheWindowsClub or simply as www.thewindowsclub.com. Most of you may click on such links without a second thought. In either of these two cases, you will be taken to the genuine URL or website which is https://www.thewindowsclub.com.
But you need to be careful as the displayed text or the hyperlink can be misleading. To give you an example, if you were to click on TheWindowsClub.com now, you could be taken to another link – in this case our own sub-domain. Or you could click on a different displayed link text like say Windows 10 and still be taken to www.thewindowsclub.com. Then again, you may see news.thewindowsclub.com but be taken to www.thewindowsclub.com.
The point that I am trying to make is that don’t take things at face value.
So to confirm that a link is safe or not, what you need to do, is move your mouse pointer and hover it over the link.
In the bottom left corner of your browser, you will be able to see where you are actually going to be taken. If you see, the domain is genuine, you can click the hyperlink.
So far so good.
But you need to do more. Having clicked the link, you need to keep an eye on your browser’s address bar, and the address displayed.
The danger here is that from a seemingly safe domain name, you could well be re-directed to another domain which may an unsafe or a Phishing domain.
If the address continues to remain the same, good. But if it suddenly changes to another domain, you will have to be alert. Ensure that the new address belongs to a genuine website before you proceed.
Fine, but if it is an unfamiliar domain, how do you know if it is safe?
Install one of these URL Scanner add-ons on your browser.
When you visit a link, these URL scanners will check if the website you ar visiting is safe and will warn you if it is unsafe. Windows 10 users have the additional safety of the SmartScreen, which is already enabled by default. If you are using a good Internet Security Suite, it too will block malicious links from opening. Most good browsers like Chrome, IE, Edge, Firefox, etc., too will stop malicious links from opening.
The same precautions need to be taken when clicking on links in your email. If you are using a desktop email client, like say Outlook, it too will display the link in the bottom left corner. If in doubt, you can right-click on the link and select Copy URL and paste it in Notepad to see it.
Read: What is Cybersquatting and Typosquatting?
Here are some types of links, you don’t want to click on:
- Phony links that might show something else but will actually direct to a different location. Phishing emails use various methods to hide the actual URLs.
- The link that is displayed will be an image while the actual link could be different.
- Actual links can be masked using HTML. Thus, the text displayed will be http://websitename.com/ while the hyperlink set will be http://www.othersite.com.
- Another method is by using @ in the link. If a link contains the ‘@’ sign, the URL you’re taken to will be the one after the ‘@’ sign. For example, if the link is www.microsoft.com/[email protected]/?=true, the actual URL you will be taken to is web.com?=true.
- Links with numbers instead of the website name. Example: www.182.11.22.2.com.
Read: How to check if a Website or URL is safe using Online URL Scanners.
One last point!
These days you must have seen a lot of shortened URLs that appear as http://bit.ly/1UTZzTI. These are our usual long URLs which have been shortened using a URL Shortener service. While short URL generators help you share long links over your social network accounts quickly, they pose one grave danger – they may hide suspicious elements like malware.
Read: How to Spot & Avoid Dark Patterns.
A URL Expander is a tool that expands shortened URLs to their original long URL and finds if it carries malware along the way. If you feel unsure as to where a shortened link will take you, you can make use of some URL expander service to see the full URL.
Click links suspiciously and stay safe online!
This post will show you how to identify Phishing scams and avoid Phishing attacks.
