Ways to protect against malicious Web site links

When you point to a hyperlink in Microsoftinternetexplorer, microsoftoutlookexpress, or MicrosoftOutlook, the address of the corresponding Web site is usually displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the window. When the link you click opens in InternetExplorer, the address of the corresponding Web site is usually displayed in the address bar of the InternetExplorer, and the title of the corresponding Web page is usually displayed in the title bar of the window.

Compare the actual URL to the URL in the address bar. If they do not match, the Web site may be false. In this case, you may need to turn off InternetExplorer.

Use the History pane in InternetExplorer to identify the actual URL of the current Web site

In some cases that Microsoft has verified, you can also use the History Explorer bar in InternetExplorer to help identify the URL of a Web page. On the View menu, point to Explorer Bar, and then click History. Compares the URL in the address bar to the URL displayed in the history column. If they do not match, the Web site is likely to lie to itself, and you may need to turn off InternetExplorer.

Paste the URL into the address bar of a new instance of InternetExplorer

You can paste the URL into the address bar of a new instance of InternetExplorer. In this way, you may be able to verify the information that InternetExplorer will use when accessing the target Web site. In some cases that Microsoft has verified, you can verify the information that InternetExplorer actually uses when accessing the target Web site in the following ways: Copy the URL displayed in the Address bar and paste it into the address bar of a new session in InternetExplorer. This approach is similar to the one described in the "How to guard against spoofed Web sites" section above.

Warning: If you perform this action on some sites, such as an E-commerce site, this action may cause your current session to be lost. For example, the contents of an online shopping cart may be lost so that you have to repopulate the cart.

To paste the URL into the address bar of a new instance of InternetExplorer, follow these steps:

1, select the text in the Address bar, right-click the text, and then click Copy.

2, close InternetExplorer.

3, start InternetExplorer.

4, click in the Address bar, right-click, and then click Paste.

5, press ENTER key.

Methods for identifying malicious hyperlinks

The only way to verify the information that InternetExplorer needs to use when accessing the target Web site is to manually type the URL in the address bar. However, in some cases, you can use a number of ways to help you identify malicious hyperlinks.

Warning: The following information provides some general guidelines for known attacks. Because attacks are often changed, a malicious user might use a method not described here to create a spoofed Web site. To help you protect yourself, you should only be able to type personal or sensitive information after verifying the name on the digital certificate. Also, if you suspect a site's authenticity for any reason, please leave the site immediately by closing the browser window. In general, the quickest way to close a browser window is to press ALT+F4.

Try to identify the URL that a hyperlink will use

To try to identify a URL to use for a hyperlink, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the link, and then click Copy Shortcut.

2, click Start, and then click Run.

3, type Notepad, and then click OK.

4, in Notepad, on the Edit menu, click Paste.

This allows you to view the full URL of any hyperlink, and you can check the address that InternetExplorer will use. The following is a list of characters that may appear in the URL that might lead you to a spoofed Web site:

%00
%01
•@

For example, the following form of URL will open http://yourname.com, but the URL may appear in the Address bar or status bar of InternetExplorer as

Http://www.domain.com:
Http://www.domain.com%01@example.com

Other methods that can be used

Although these actions do not help you identify a deceptive (spoofed) Web site or URL, they can help limit the damage caused by a successful attack from a spoofed Web site or a malicious hyperlink. However, they restrict the Web sites in e-mail and Internet zones from running scripts, ActiveX controls, and other potentially disruptive content. • Use your Web content area to help prevent Web sites in the Internet zone from running scripts, ActiveX controls, or other disruptive content on your computer. First, set the Internet zone security level to high in InternetExplorer. To do this, follow these steps:

1, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

2, click the Security tab, click Internet, and then click Default Level.

3, move the slider to High, and then click OK.

Then, add the URL of the Web site that you trust to the Trusted sites zone. To do this, follow these steps:

1, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

2, click the Security tab.

3, click "Trusted Site".

4, click "Site".

5. If the site you are adding does not require server authentication, click to clear the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone check box.

6, type the address of the Web site that you want to add to the Trusted Sites list.

7, click "Add".

8, repeat steps 6 and 7 for each Web site that you want to add.

9, click "OK" two times.