A suspicious link is a web address that might lead you to a dangerous website or download harmful files. It's important to avoid clicking on suspicious links to protect your computer and personal information. In this lesson, you will learn how to spot suspicious links and stay safe online.

Before clicking on a link, take a look at the URL (the web address). Suspicious links often have strange or misspelled words. For example, instead of 'www.example.com', a suspicious link might be 'www.exarnple.com' or 'www.example123.com'.

If a URL looks strange, don't click on it.

When you visit a website, check if the URL starts with 'https://' instead of 'http://'. The 's' in 'https' stands for 'secure', which means the website is safer to visit.

Websites with 'https://' use a special security technology called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to protect your information.

This makes it harder for hackers to steal your data. If a link starts with 'http://' and not 'https://', it could be a suspicious link. Remember, always look for 'https://' in the URL when browsing the internet to stay safe.

Before clicking on a link, hover your mouse cursor over it without clicking. This will show you the actual URL you'll be taken to if you click on the link. If the URL looks different from the one displayed or seems suspicious, don't click on it. Let's practice this skill with an example link:

Example Link

Hover your mouse cursor over the 'Example Link' text above without clicking. You should see the URL 'https://www.example.com' appear at the bottom of your web browser. This is a safe link, but remember to always check before clicking on any link.

Sometimes, people use URL shortening services to make long web addresses shorter and easier to share. However, shortened URLs can also be used to hide suspicious links.

If you see a shortened URL (like 'bit.ly/12345' or 'goo.gl/abcde'), be cautious and consider where you came across the link.