Phishing link detection is an important way to identify malicious URLs and prevent users from clicking them. This is because phishing URLs are often used to deliver malware, exploit vulnerabilities, or collect sensitive information.

Detecting a phishing link detection URL requires extracting some features of the URL from its contents and comparing these features to determine whether the URL is benign or malicious. Our scanner uses a patented method to perform this.

One of the most effective methods to detect phishing URLs is by checking their host names. For example, phishing links often have many dots (a) in their host names to fool users into believing that they are genuine.

Another important feature to check is the number of slashes in the URL. Cybercriminals use slashes in a URL to mask their destination, while legitimate URLs usually have no slashes or only a few.

Why Phishing Link Detection is Critical for Your Online Security: Understanding the Risks and Threats

A shortened URL is also a good indicator of a potentially dangerous link. Unlike permanent URLs, shortened URLs are not displayed at the end of the address bar. A shortened link can hide a malicious domain name, make it appear to be from your bank, or contain a link to a file.

Some phishing websites also conceal their destinations by using URL encoding. This encoding is a standard way to encode web addresses and is commonly used by some malware distributors.

You can also check the domain name of a suspicious link by hovering your cursor over it to see where it will ultimately take you. This can be done by using a tool like Httpstatus, which will display the final URL you will be redirected to.