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Today I received a link in an email. Is there any way to be sure it will not lead to a virus before I open it? I googled it and came up with no hits.
EDIT: I have sent a message to the sender querying if they sent it. I'll update when I get an answer.
EDIT: Nov. 1 - I sent a message to the sender asking if they had sent it. No response to date. I am deleting it.
Xavierjazz
Posted 2010-10-29T12:20:06.907
Reputation: 7 993
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You can check the link manually by using any web proxy tunnels (e.g. ktunnel.com). Make sure that you check the "Remove scripts" option.
Mehper C. Palavuzlar
Posted 2010-10-29T12:20:06.907
Reputation: 51 093
@Mepher: Thank you. I have done some research on these tunnels, but I can see nowhere where it says that a virus will not be transmitted. In your answer, you say, (check the "Remove scripts" option). I assume that this will disable any script that will try to run on my machine. Ergo, the link is "sanitized". Is my understanding correct. Thanks again, Regards, – Xavierjazz – 2010-10-30T15:09:29.520
Xavierjazz: Sorry for the late response. Overlooked somehow. "Remove scripts" means "Don't run any scripts (residing on this page) on my browser". For example, if you check "remove scripts" option and try to open a page with a streaming video on it, the video won't load. So the answer is yes, the link is viewed as sanitized. Hope that fits the bill. – Mehper C. Palavuzlar – 2011-03-09T16:52:33.297
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You can never be sure, but there are websites which rate the safety of other sites, eg Site Advisor and Web of Trust.
Hugh Allen
Posted 2010-10-29T12:20:06.907
Reputation: 8 620
These inform me that the website I have submitted is not yet checked, and suggest I try later. Thanks. – Xavierjazz – 2010-10-30T15:10:34.483
I've heard people who don't trust web of trust because people game the system. Personally I don't trust web of trust, but maybe I'm paranoid. – Scott McClenning – 2010-10-30T18:58:56.580
@Scott McClenning: I don't trust it either, but in combination with information from other sources, it slightly increases / decreases my confidence in a site. – Hugh Allen – 2010-11-01T14:18:42.037
If its a link to anything relating to giving you lots of money you can be sure its not a good link to goto. – Chris – 2010-10-30T13:23:44.530