What is A Malicious URL? (And How You Can Avoid Them)

One week after Gordon was employed as a senior manager, he received an email purported to be from the “The IT Support Centre” of the company he was working for. The email required Gordon to verify his company password and ensure that it was as strong as possible. 

The email had a link that directed Gordon to a branded page designed to look like the company’s page. Gordon, being a new employee, was determined to follow the ‘rules of the game.’ So, he decided to fill in a form that required him to enter his email address and his password to be verified. Unfortunately, Gordon didn’t realize that he was sharing his login credential with the hackers by filling in the online form.

He did not realize that the link attached in the email was a malicious link on a mission to steal his login credentials. Gordon also didn’t notice that he was not visiting the company’s website, but a fake website crafted to look like the company’s website. His case may be one in a million instances where hackers use malicious URLs to lure unsuspecting victims to fake and dangerous websites. This article addresses this menace and provides a solution to it. 

What is a Malicious URL?

So, what is a malicious URL? There is no universal meaning of the phrase “malicious URL.” The term refers to a link created with the primary objective of promoting scams, cyberattacks, and financial frauds. Malicious links are luring and usually display a sense of urgency. Most victims end up clicking on malicious URLs, which lands them on unsafe websites. 

Victims who click on the malicious URL end up downloading malware that could potentially damage their network. Victims also end up sharing their sensitive information with hackers who use them for the wrong reasons. Hackers also compel victims to fall into financial fraud traps. The following are the reasons why hackers create malicious links. 

• To carry out phishing attacks that aim to steal users’ sensitive information and identity.
• To lure users into giving out their login credentials. Hackers use these login details to access users’ accounts and conduct malicious activities. 
• The links might bait the victim into downloading malware that attackers might use to spy on the users’ activities and conduct a series of data breaches. 
• To impair the users’ networks until a ransom is made. 

How to Find and Avoid Malicious Links

Malicious URLs are usually hard to identify. This is because attackers spend a lot of time making the URLs and the website look as credible as possible. As such, most URLs appear almost indistinguishable from the real ones. 

However, there are a few steps that you should take to identify whether a URL you are about to click is fake or genuine. 

1: Check the URL Structure 

The URL structure says a lot about the validity of the URL or the website you are about to visit. Before clicking on the link, you should look at the address and see whether it begins with HTTPS or HTTP. If the address starts with HTTP, then do not dare open the link. It could be a trap.  

SSL certificate is a security protocol that gives websites HTTPS status. The HTTPS features provide a sense of security to the users. Through the SSL certificate, the information you share with a website remains encrypted. Encryption makes data inaccessible to unauthorized parties. If budget is a concern, you can choose to buy cheap SSL certificates from reliable SSL providers that offer premium encryption at unbelievably low prices.

As I already mentioned, the HTTPS system is no longer foolproof. Therefore, it should not surprise you to find a malicious URL with an HTTPS address. Consequently, you are advised to be extra vigilant and look for more evidence to identify whether a website is genuine. 

2: Pay Attention to the Spelling of the Web Address

Hackers create malicious URLs that tend to mimic real websites. They will change a few letters that victims would not identify easily. The attackers will try to stick as close as possible to the actual address by making small but hard-to-identify changes to the URLs. g00gle.com and amaz0n.com are malicious links examples that have altered the spellings of real websites. If you were keen enough, you would notice that in both cases, 0 has been used in place of o. 

Another example is where the hackers create a web address ending in .co.uk to look like an original website that ends with .org. You must be keen on simple alterations that hackers are employing to trick users into clicking on malicious links. 

3: The Message Conveys a Sense of Urgency

Never click on email attachments that convey a sense of urgency. Hackers want to conduct their malicious activities and be gone before you realize. So they will not give you time to figure out that you are being scammed. That is why they tend to convey a sense of urgency in their messages. 

In the image attached, you will notice how urgent the message is. The scammer, masquerading to be PayPal support staff, informs the recipient about the urgent need to verify their PayPal account, failure to which the account will be closed within 24 hours. The user should click the attached link to verify their account. This is a malicious link compelling victims to click the link. Users might end up sharing their sensitive payment information with scammers. Always be vigilant and on the lookout for such traps. 

4: Check Who Owns the Website

Before clicking on the link, it is worthwhile for you to research who owns it. All domains must register their web address, making it simple to find out more about the link owner. All you need to do is visit the WHOIS page, type in or paste the URL address you wish to have info about, and you are done. You will be able to establish whether the URL address is for a genuine website.

5: Read the Reviews about The Website

 It costs you nothing to research a website to find out whether it is what it says to be. However, it will cost you a lot if you do not research the website only to land on a fake website that will steal your sensitive data and details. 

If the URL is from a malicious website, the chances are that it has already defrauded other people in the past. Victims that have had their share of experience with the fraudulent website will go online to share their experience. If there are negative feedbacks and reviews about the website, it would be safe to avoid clicking the link. 

6: Combination of Legitimate and Malicious URLs

Beware of fraudsters who use a series of links. Most of them are authentic except for one or a few target links. For instance, fraudsters may mimic the privacy policies and terms of service for a website they are trying to emulate. The genuine links are mixed with another unsafe link to confuse the user into believing that all of them are genuine. An unsuspecting user might end up clicking on the link, thereby ending up in the hacker’s trap. 

Conclusion

You and I are potential victims of malicious URLs. Just like Gordon, we could easily be compelled to share our information or make payments to scammers. Therefore, we should remain vigilant and ensure we look out for the red flags before clicking on a link. Rushing to click on a link might be risky. You might end up downloading dangerous malware that will allow a hacker to take over your network. 

You must follow the tips above to identify malicious links. It would be best if you also leveraged real-time scanning, a feature that is offered by web browsers and antimalware software. The features will help you to identify malicious links before you click on them. Malicious links will always be here to stay. It is an ongoing battle that we can easily win if we know how to identify malicious URLs and prevent them. Reading this article is your first step towards victory.