Nowadays, the most popular security measures against phishing links include automated checks and blocking suspicious links before they reach their target. However, cyber attackers are now using more advanced methods to slip through these defenses and succeed in their attack.
To address this issue, you should consider using up-to-date tools, such as ANY.RUN’s Safebrowsing. These tools allow anyone to check suspicious links faster and more effectively before they cause any harm to you and your systems.
The fastest way to check a suspicious link
One of the easiest ways to check suspicious links is to put it inside an isolated environment and see how it behaves.
ANY.RUN’s Safebrowsing is one of such tools that allows anyone to open and navigate any website in a completely isolated and secure environment. Unlike other services that might take some hours to monitor the link, this is used for fast checking.
Simply copy the link, paste it into the search bar and hit the “Browse” button to explore potentially harmful URLs.
Step 1: Enter the suspicious URL
After encountering a suspicious URL, copy and paste it into the search bar of ANY.RUN’s Safebrowsing. After clicking on the “Browse” button, you’ll start the analysis process.
URL copy-pasted into ANY.RUN’s Safebrowsing
Step 2: Freely interact with the website
Once you’re inside the secure environment, you can freely navigate through the website, click links, open tabs, solve CAPTCHAs and all the other actions you need to see what happens with your own eyes.
While you explore the website, Safebrwosing will also help you by letting you know about malicious actions.
The label on the left upper side of the screen will notify you how safe the URL is. If it is highlighted in red with the “malicious activity” writing, then the URL is dangerous to open in your regular browser.
Malicious activity detected by ANY.RUN’s Safebrowsing
Step 3: Get a detailed report
After analyzing the suspicious URL inside the isolated environment, you can also get a detailed report about all the detected threats, suspicious activities, and potential risks associated with the URL.
It’s also possible to collect all the IOCs (Indicators of Compromise) related to that particular analysis. Click on the IOC button and have the IOCs gathered in one centralized place for further analysis if required.
Before each IOC, you will also find network reputations for easier and faster reputation management.
IOCs gathered inside ANY.RUN’s Safebrowsing
As similar tools have an easy-to-use interface and are tailored for both professionals and non-experts, some organizations encourage their employees to implement them in their activities without needing to involve security teams for suspicious URL checks.
Reasons to check suspicious links before clicking
Checking suspicious links gives you the peace of mind that your systems won’t be compromised from possible phishing attacks.
Here are the main reasons why you need to check the suspicious links before clicking them:
1. Keeping your sensitive information secure
Once you click on the phishing link you give the cyber attackers access to your personal information. They can easily receive some basic data about your location, usernames, passwords, device details and more.
2. Protecting your network
A single click on a phishing link can cause breaches to your entire network. Cyber attackers will be able to perform various activities, such as:
- Getting contact details from your devices
- Sending more phishing links to your contacts and network
- Gaining a remote control over your computer
3. Avoiding a malware installation on your device
Some types of malicious software, such as ransomware, can be installed on your device in a way that you can never suspect about it. As a result, cyber attacks will infect your device and collect confidential information, such as your bank card credentials. They can even encrypt files on your device and demand a certain amount of money in order to restore your access to them.
Check suspicious links with Safebrowsing now
ANY.RUN’s Safebrowsing is a cloud-based service that allows users of all expertise levels to check suspicious links faster with its easy-to-use interface and real-time threat detection capabilities.
Browsing websites inside a safe and isolated environment helps individuals and organizations avoid possible phishing attacks and their unpleasant consequences.
Sign up for ANY.RUN at no cost and start analyzing unlimited URLs.
