How do you test if a link is good?

[benken2202001]

Lets say you get an email link that you think is suspect, but you still want to click it. How would you go about testing its validity without compromising your machine?

 

[madboyv1]

Well, you could run a VM and run the link through that, or you can start with something like https://www.virustotal.com/#url

 

[Marnomancer]

Install the WOT addon for your browser. No AV can match it.

 

[slh28]

Well the best way is to not click any links from people you don't know in the first place.

 

[ReviverSoft]

If you have a good "Internet Security" program/suite installed, it should auto deny access to the page.
Alternatively, you may scan it using McAfee's SiteAdvisor, Norton SafeWeb, Trend Micro's Site Safety and other similar sites.
I wouldn't trust WOT simply because it is unreliable and community driven. A bunch of flaky ratings or spamming can offset the safety rating it offers for a site, irrespective of how safe it is.

Well the best way is to not click any links from people you don't know in the first place.

Indeed!

 

[learninmypc]

Install the WOT addon for your browser. No AV can match it.

I agree. I've been using WOT for several years now & found it better than site advisor.

 

[alen9331]

I prefer Mcafee's Siteadvisor, just like a toolbar for browser,and could tell me which link is dangerous to click.

 

[learninmypc]

I receive computer newsletters from a well known individual who used to use site advisor & said it was the best in the newsletter.
I could tell it was not a good product because my WOT would show angry red wot circles where the links were. I sent the person emails urging the person to use WOT. Long story short, evidently others griped too because I haven't seen a angry red wot circle in the newsletters for some time now. The person that sends the newsletter has since acknowledged wot as being a better addon. Takes up NO space on a browser & keeps you safe.

 

[DelJo63]

Personally, I use SAVE AS to store the message to disk and then use NOTEPAD to open it
for inspection (ie: no scripts can run within notepad). Now I can see ALL the headers,
where the message originated from and the sites that were used to get the message to me.

HOWEVER, this requires that you understand the email headers as well as the mime/type
encoding of the message body - - clearly non-trivial.

The origin of the message is one of the most important clues; If it looks like an anonymous
user id, then DO NOT TRUST the email links