Verify the safety of a link before clicking

Clicking a link for a website you've never heard of is NEVER recommended. Period.  Although a very small percentage of websites are "bad", when you consider there are billions of websites online that translates to LOTS of questionable/bad pages.  

However, I've been helping people with technology long enough to know that the temptation to check out a new product or sensational news provides just too much temptation to resist clicking on the link.  If you are one of these people, please consider at least checking out the URL (web address) for the website before actually clicking on the link; this could save you hours of time trying to clean up a "mess" later.  

How can you check on the safety of a link before clicking? 

1. Select/highlight the URL (link)
   
2. Copy the URL (On a PC - right-click; on a Mac - Command + C)
   
3. Go to this website: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/url 
4. In the Search or Scan a URL box, paste the URL (On a PC - right-click; on a Mac - Command + V)
   
5.  Click on the Magnifying Glass on the right side of the Search box

VirusTotal will then check the link with some of the most popular virus, malware and reputation checking tools on the web.  If most of the scans come back "clean" then you can feel safe in visiting that website.  If multiple warnings appear that the website may be a phishing site or contain malware, DO NOT visit or use that website. Period.

I usually am contacted AFTER someone has clicked a questionable link and it takes time to work through the problems.  Do yourself a favor today by bookmarking the Virus Total website so you will have it when you need it.  :-)

Have a terrific Tech Tuesday and enjoy this unseasonably nice weather - at least in Emporia.  We'll try to send it to those of you living farther north or towards the East coast!