3 Free Sites for Phishing and Malware Detection, Beware of Cyber Threats
The Threat of Cyber Attacks Lurking for Internet Users
Advances in digital technology not only provide benefits to society, but also provide opportunities for irresponsible parties to carry out illegal acts. One form of crime that often occurs is fraud via malicious links. Every day, cybercrime modes are increasingly developing and difficult to detect, especially through social media, email or instant messaging applications.
Phishing and malware are the two main threats in the cyber world. According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (2024), around 36 percent of global data leak cases are caused by phishing attacks. Meanwhile, the Europol Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) stated that malware is still a mainstay weapon for cybercriminals to steal data, control devices and drain victims’ accounts.
Dangers of Malicious Links
Internet users should be more alert to suspicious links. Cybercriminals can use these links for several malicious purposes, such as:
- Steal personal data, including names, email addresses and passwords.
- Infect devices with malware that can damage the system or steal sensitive information.
- Theft of financial data and banking transactions.
- Taking over the victim’s social media or email accounts.
Cyber security expert from Kaspersky, David Emm, explained that cybercriminals are now getting smarter at disguising dangerous links to make them look like official sites. Many victims are unaware because the link seems convincing, but is actually a trap.
How to Check Link Security Before Visiting
To minimize the risk of cyberattacks, internet users can use several methods to check the security of a link before clicking on it. Here are three ways that can be used:
1. Google Transparency Report
Go to the Google Transparency Report site (https://transparencyreport.google.com/). Paste the link you want to check in the search field, then click the search icon. Google will display a report whether the link contains dangerous content or not. If it is safe, the statement “No unsafe content was found” will appear.
2. Norton Safe Web
Visit Norton Safe Web (https://safeweb.norton.com/). Enter the link you want to check, then click the search icon to see the analysis results. Norton will display a report with four indicators:
– Green icon (safe)
– Red icon (dangerous)
– Exclamation mark icon (requires caution)
– Question mark icon (unclear/not yet registered)
3. Whois Lookup
Visit Whois (https://www.whois.com/). Enter the domain address you want to check, then click the search icon. The system will display domain registration data. If the registrant information is unclear or suspicious, there is a possibility that the domain is being used for illegal purposes.
The Importance of Digital Literacy in Preventing Cyber Attacks
According to Dr. Pratama Persadha, a digital security expert from the University of Indonesia, digital literacy is the main key in preventing cyber crime. People need to get used to checking the source of links, not just clicking, and understand how phishing works so they are not easily fooled. With simple preventive measures such as checking links before opening them, users can reduce the risk of being exposed to costly phishing and malware attacks.
