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When you receive an email containing a link that you are urged to click, there are a few things you can do first. For one, you can hover your mouse cursor over the link that you are being asked to click. If you are using a mobile device, you may be able to hold your finger on the suspicious link, and the true link will be shown or copied to your clipboard. NOTE: This is not available on all phones, so check that your device can do this before you attempt it.

You can try this now! Hover over each link below:
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The top link leads to ¹ú²úÂ×Àí's homepage, but the bottom link takes you to Google's. A scammer can embed a link within certain text that makes it seem like you are clicking a trustworthy link. In reality, you will be directed to wherever the scammer wants you to go.

You can also determine if a link is dangerous by using the email's context. For example, if you receive an email from an unfamiliar sender, claiming that you won a smartphone and can claim your prize by clicking a link, this is a sign that the email is a phish and the link is dangerous. You can read more tips about how to spot a phishing email here!

Another tip: a link starting with HTTPS contains more security features than a link using HTTP, but HTTPS links can still contain dangerous content. HTTPS ensures that the information you enter into a website is encrypted, but does not guarantee that the website you are on is legitimate. Any time you are entering sensitive information into a website, it should be using HTTPS.

A malicious link can contain a variety of different contents, though all are dangerous in one way or another. The simple act of clicking a link can immediately install malware onto your system. Malware is malicious software that can wreak havoc on your device and result in compromised accounts or stolen personal information.

In some cases, this malware can gain access to whichever network you are connected to, as well as your contacts. It can use this network connection and/or contact list to spread itself through your organization. This poses a threat to not only you and your account, but to many other people in your organization.

Malicious links can also track who clicked them. This means that the scammer is now aware that your email address is being actively monitored by a human. Picture this scenario: you click a link that leads to a fake login page. You recognize that this page is fake and immediately close it without entering your credentials. Does this mean you are safe? Not entirely. Unbeknownst to you, the link you clicked contained a click tracker that can associate your click with your email address, location, or other information about you and your device. All of this data is now in the hands of the scammer, who may use it in future attacks on you.

If you find a link that you believe to be malicious, or even if you aren't quite sure, do not click this link! It is safest to report the email or message containing the link to phish@kent.edu. Our team will analyze this link and let you know where it leads, as well as whether or not it is malicious. If the link is dangerous and was sent to you in an email, our team can remove this phishing email from our mail system.