How can I tell if a website is safe to visit?

Question

Sometimes I’m not sure if a site is legit or if it might be dangerous. What are the main signs that a website is safe to click on and use?

Answer 1

First thing to check is if the suspected website is using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to communicate or not.

This usually means that the website is using a "trusted SSL certificate" which is not given until the website is a known, vetted and trusted corporate entity (which most scam or exploit sites would not have). Sites using an SSL certificate will typically have HTTPS:// in their website name.

Modern day browsers will typically display a "View site information" symbol before the website name (***.com). This (when pressed) will reveal if a Website to Browser connection is "secure" (using SSL encryption) and also, if the SSL certificate being used for this encryption is "valid".

The SSL certificate description will provide information on which Certification entity verified and issued the certificate, who it was issued to (the current website whose name must match) and (most importantly) - if the SSL certificate has expired or is going to expire (and on what date). Browsers will typically block communication to sites with expired certificates. Hopefully - the people who maintain the websites will renew the certificates long before they expire.

Also - if there are other issues with known malware-exploit websites, they will typically be blocked with a warning by most modern browsers (which makes the case for updating browsers to the latest version). Additionally one can install various browser checking plugins (for Edge, Chrome, Duckduckgo, Firefox and Opera) which provide an additional layer of protection. Most reputed well-known anti-malware companies have these plugins available.

Answer 2

The first thing to look at is where the link came from. If you don’t trust the person or platform sharing it, don’t click it. Phishing attacks usually start by tricking you into clicking a fake or dangerous link. Even if the site looks legit, if the source is sketchy, that’s a red flag.

Next, check for https in the address bar. That means the site is using encryption to protect your data in transit. Also, double check the domain name. Hackers often use small spelling tricks to mimic trusted sites.

If the website is flooded with pop-ups, looks broken, or immediately asks for sensitive information, close it out. You can also use tools like Google Safe Browsing or a browser extension that warns you about risky sites. The more you practice spotting sketchy patterns, the better you’ll get at staying safe online.