Shortened links can be a very important problem for our security. It is in fact one of the most used strategies by hackers to send malware through email or social networks. We are going to explain why we should not open a shortened link without first making sure whether it is reliable or not, since our personal data could be at stake.
Why be careful with shortened links
What is a shortened link? Basically we can say that it is a URL that does not show us the full address . It is usually a link that only contains a few letters or digits, followed by an extension that usually does not match the real domain. This does not always mean that it is dangerous, far from it, but it is a strategy used by hackers.
A legitimate shortened link for example would be a very long link of a certain product that we have seen on Amazon and we want to send it by WhatsApp or mail and so that it is not so long we have used a service to shorten it. What happens is that we are really hiding the name of that domain, its extension, etc.
This strategy can be used by a cybercriminal to send us a false link, but actually hiding all the content. In this way, we only receive a small link by email, Facebook, WhatsApp or any other service and, upon entering, we go to the site that is hiding.
We should never click mindlessly on these links as they may be fraud . Maybe they hide a malicious address that contains malware, it is a Phishing attack or any other attack method that compromises security and privacy. Also, we can always create safe shortened links.
What should we do to open shortened links
After explaining why shortened links can be dangerous, we are going to give some tips to be able to open them without putting security at risk. It is something that we can face on many occasions, since it is not strange to receive an e-mail or a message of this type.
The first thing is to see the source of the message . Who sent us that shortened link? That is basic. We should never open it if it comes to us through an unknown account or in any way we suspect that there may be something wrong. This is essential.
On the other hand, we can always see what is behind a link without having to open it. For example we can use GetLinkInfo . This type of page is used to put any shortened link and, without having to open it on our computer, see what the full address is.
A third step would be to open it in a safe environment . For example, a browser where we do not have other tabs open with our accounts. In this way, in case we enter a malicious page that can collect data, we would have a barrier that at least prevents in that sense putting privacy at risk.
Ultimately, opening a shortened link can be dangerous. We have seen that we can take into account some steps to avoid problems. We can analyze the source of the message, view the complete content with an external service or even open it in a secure environment.