How to check if links are safe before clicking with online free tools


Userlevel 7
Badge +13

Thanks to @MicoolPaul topic

I’d like to talk about received suspicious links and how to handle them, before clicking on it.

There are indeed various online tools for pre-checking links, these are the ones I suggest.

If you know others, share them with us! :)

 

The first one is URL2PNG and what it offers is really simple: it capture in an instant of time snapshots of any website. Super useful with strange urls. And it's free for occasional searches.

https://www.url2png.com/

 

Another one and very famous is virustotal: it doesn’t only check if some malware hides in the target of the link, but it’s pretty useful even to check shorten link (like, you know, linkedin urls...) and their true destination.

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/url

 

The third link is very similar to virustotal, but less well known. Allows you to check if the link is safe or if it contains a malicious target. But I personally don't like searches being made public in some sort of timeline. In this screen I had to hide the public url list...

https://urlscan.io/

 

And remember. Before clicking, think about it not once, not twice, but three times.

Stay safe.


11 comments

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Thanks Marco, I am one of those who don't click unknown or strange links unless I know 1000% that they are safe! 😁

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

Thanks Marco, I am one of those who don't click unknown or strange links unless I know 1000% that they are safe! 😁

Virustotal is always the way 😁

Userlevel 6
Badge +6
  1. Google Safe Browsing: https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search
  2. Norton Safe Web: https://safeweb.norton.com/
  3. URLVoid: https://www.urlvoid.com/
  4. PhishTank: https://www.phishtank.com/
  5. Sucuri SiteCheck: https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/
  6. Zscaler Zulu URL Risk Analyzer: https://zulu.zscaler.com/
  7. Talos Intelligence: https://talosintelligence.com/

Please note that no tool can guarantee 100% safety, but using these services can significantly reduce the risk of encountering malicious content. Always make sure to keep your system and security software up to date to best protect against threats.

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

This is a nice compliment to the TLD article.  Thanks for sharing, Marco.

Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Good post @marcofabbri . I wasn’t aware of those 1st 2, but was of the last one. Great references...and thank you for the additional ones @Viperian 

Userlevel 7
Badge +13
  1. Google Safe Browsing: https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search
  2. Norton Safe Web: https://safeweb.norton.com/
  3. URLVoid: https://www.urlvoid.com/
  4. PhishTank: https://www.phishtank.com/
  5. Sucuri SiteCheck: https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/
  6. Zscaler Zulu URL Risk Analyzer: https://zulu.zscaler.com/
  7. Talos Intelligence: https://talosintelligence.com/

Please note that no tool can guarantee 100% safety, but using these services can significantly reduce the risk of encountering malicious content. Always make sure to keep your system and security software up to date to best protect against threats.

Amazing list @Viperian! More than reputation checker I prefer a deep scan, but I admit that one time reputation defense saved me :) 

As he said, only a multiple security layers make you more secure.

@coolsport00 url2png is fundamental on Kali pentest machines. :)

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

Before clicking, think about it not once, not twice, but three times.

Instructions unclear, clicked 3 times! 😉

Just kidding, great article buddy! I’ve always liked solutions such as Mimecast URL Protection / M365 Safelinks. One of the threats I was starting to notice about 10 years ago was that links would be sent with the DNS records being forwarded to legit URLs, these would be sent in the middle of the night over the weekend for example, but then the DNS records would be updated a few hours later, before users would sign in, so any scanning done at ingress would be clean, but the link would be malicious by the time it was opened!

CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Great article Marco

Most URL shortening services also have an option to preview the link before it can be accessed. 

for bit.ly just add a ‘+’ at the end of the link and it will display the end URL

Another way is by using CURL. Great post from SANS here: InfoSec Handlers Diary Blog - SANS Internet Storm Center 

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

Great list @marcofabbri . I have always used VirtusTotal, not just for links, but for files etc. I use Norton and therefore have the Norton Safe Web enabled on some specific browsers and I will say, the list from @Viperian is very comprehensive. 

 

Great Job! Cheers...

Userlevel 7
Badge +5
  1. Google Safe Browsing: https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search
  2. Norton Safe Web: https://safeweb.norton.com/
  3. URLVoid: https://www.urlvoid.com/
  4. PhishTank: https://www.phishtank.com/
  5. Sucuri SiteCheck: https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/
  6. Zscaler Zulu URL Risk Analyzer: https://zulu.zscaler.com/
  7. Talos Intelligence: https://talosintelligence.com/

Please note that no tool can guarantee 100% safety, but using these services can significantly reduce the risk of encountering malicious content. Always make sure to keep your system and security software up to date to best protect against threats.

Amazing list @Viperian! More than reputation checker I prefer a deep scan, but I admit that one time reputation defense saved me :) 

As he said, only a multiple security layers make you more secure.

@coolsport00 url2png is fundamental on Kali pentest machines. :)

Thanks for knowledge sharing guys !
I go to save on my bookmark.

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

One more ANY.RUN - Interactive Online Malware Sandbox

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