Every now and then, a user comes along and posts a suspicious link. You don't know where it goes or what will happen once you have clicked the link. I have created this guide in hopes that you stay aware of these situations. [quote][b]1. HOVER OVER THE LINK[/b][/quote]If you're not sure about the link that the user has posted, [url=https://imgur.com/a/1BWREVV]HOVER OVER IT[/url]. Usually you will be able to tell what website was just posted. Go ahead, [url=https://www.bungie.net]hover over this.[/url] Do you see what it says? It says https://www.bungie.net. Be aware that links can be disguised as other links. Ex. [url=https://www.xbox.com/]www.bungie.net[/url] [quote][b]2. HAVE AN ANTI-VIRUS[/b][/quote]Let's say you clicked a link and it lead you to a strange website. You may not think anything of it. Sometimes nothing happens and other times you won't even know what happened. Always make sure you are using an anti-virus when using the Internet. Not only is downloading unknown items a bad idea, but so is visiting websites you normally wouldn't visit. There are many anti-viruses out there. A lot of good ones are free. Here are some (test your hovering abilities by hovering over these links): [url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5201]Microsoft Security Essentials[/url], [url=http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download]Avast Antivirus[/url], [url=http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage]AVG Antivirus[/url] [quote][b]3. NEVER TYPE IN YOUR INFORMATION[/b][/quote]Some websites are designed to steal your information. See that website you just clicked on to get free currency? All you have to do is type in your username and password. DON'T DO IT! Nothing is EVER free. If it's too good to be true, it is. If you are ever unsure if you are actually inputting your information into a secure website. Look at the top in the address bar. If it's green, It is secure. If it's not, I suggest getting out of there! Also, where you are on these connections, try to make sure you are using [url=http://www.eff.org/https-everywhere]HTTPS[/url]. HTTPS is always secure, and when you input your information it goes through an encrypted connection to get to where it needs to go. Your address bar (or part of it) should be blue. [quote][b]4. CHECK OUT SHORT LINKS[/b][/quote]I'm sure you've seen people post a link that really short, but it gives no information as to where it's going. Fret not, there are ways to check! Firefox has a number of add-ons to automatically expand short URLS: [url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/short-url-expander/]Short URL Expander[/url], [url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/simple-url-extender/]Simple URL Extender[/url] Chrome does as well: [url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/url%20extender?hl=en-GB]URL Extender[/url] There are GreaseMonkey userscripts as well: [url=http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/32115]LongURL Mobile Expander[/url], [url=http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/40582]TinyURL Decoder[/url], [url=http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/52584]LongURL[/url] You can also use websites: [url]http://expandurl.com/,[/url] [url]http://www.prevurl.com/[/url] When clicking on links, ALWAYS make sure you know what you're clicking. If you are unsure where you are, RUN YOUR ANTI-VIRUS & DON'T TYPE IN YOUR INFO! [quote][b]5. REMOVE/DISABLE ADOBE ACROBAT READER[/b][/quote]Adobe Reader has been under security attacks for [url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/10/08/technology/security/adobe-security/index.html]years[/url]. I would highly suggest that you get rid of it and download something else that is more up-to-date. For Mac, just use Preview. It comes with free with OS X. If you wish to edit PDFs, use [url=http://skim-app.sourceforge.net/]Skim[/url] or [url=http://www.scribus.net/]Scribus[/url]. Both are free. For Windows, download [url=http://www.nitroreader.com/]Nitro Reader[/url] or [url=http://www.foxitsoftware.com/Secure_PDF_Reader/]Foxit Reader[/url]. Both are free. [quote][b]6. UPDATE YOUR OS AND OTHER SOFTWARE REGULARLY[/b][/quote]With updates come bug fixes & added security (if any). Always update whenever you can. [quote][b]7. DISABLE JAVA/USE A FLASH BLOCK ADD-ON[/b][/quote]Adobe is a very popular company, and because of that their software is always under attack. Since some sites still use Flash after it has retired, you should still download a Flash block plugin. This causes all Flash to be disabled on default until you click the Flash object to allow it to run. This way only Flash that you authorize to show will be shown. Here are some add-ons for various browsers: [url=http://clicktoflash.com]ClickToFlash for Safari[/url], [url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flash-block-plus/lhjanpmhcanjknkcfjiikkjdecjkmngn?hl=en]Flash Block for Chrome[/url], [url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/flash-control-4u/]Flash Control for Firefox[/url], [url=http://noscript.net/]NoScript for FF[/url] [quote][b]8. DON'T INSTALL SOFTWARE YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR[/b][/quote]If something pops up on your screen and asks if you want to install some software that you didn't download or request, DON'T DO IT! [quote][b]9. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SHOCK/BAD SITES[/b][/quote]People can be malicious, especially on the web. Some will try to cause harm to your system for seemingly no reason. Some also will send you or post links to websites that are utterly disgusting, with the sole intention to get a laugh at your reaction. With that in mind, you should protect yourself. Of course, reading the steps above this section will help tremendously, especially if you actually download a few items. For security, follow these steps:[quote]A. Within your browser is the option to block pop-up windows. Turning this on will not only block some ads, but also some rather crude stuff that could cause your browser to stop functioning until you restart it. This setting should be located somewhere within your browser's settings.[/quote][quote]B. Download [url=http://adblockplus.org]Adblock Plus[/url] (Firefox/Chrome/Safari Only - Don't Fret! Look below). Not only will you be able to block basically whatever you want (images, videos, frames, etc.) but you can also subscribe to lists. Then, [url=https://adblockplus.org/blog/blocking-malicious-sites-with-adblock-plus]go here[/url], and at the bottom of the page (full page is an interesting read by the way) select, "click here to subscribe to the list in Adblock Plus." When the confirmation window pops up, click "Add subscription."[/quote] [quote]C. [url=https://www.mywot.com]Web of Trust[/url] shows you which websites you can trust based on millions of users' experiences. This add-on is available for all browsers. You can remove certain options as well to give more flexibility. It really only works in search results and when you're on the bad sites, so.... Firefox users, download [url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/greasemonkey/]Greasemonkey[/url] and read the page for information about the extension.[/quote] [quote]D. Download a website blocker extension. You'll be able to block any website from showing up just by adding the site to the blocker. Some even feature the ability to import documents so make sure to take advantage of that. [url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/blocksite/]Blocksite[/url] & [url=http://www.stardrifter.org/refcontrol/]RefControl[/url] for Firefox, and [url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/website-blocker-beta/hclgegipaehbigmbhdpfapmjadbaldib?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon]Website Blocker[/url] ([url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/website%20blocker?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon]or this[/url]) for Chrome. Safari and other browsers should have extensions for this as well.[/quote] [quote]E. Still feeling uneasy about clicking that link? Try [url=https://safeweb.norton.com]Norton Safe Web[/url]. Just input the link, hit search and it will give you a rating for the site, as well as a full Threat Report.[/quote] [quote][b]10. DON'T DELETE SYSTEM 32[/b][/quote] [quote][b]11. SANDBOXIE[/b][/quote] Unsure about that file/software? Run it in [url=https://sandboxie-plus.com]Sandboxie[/url] and it won't affect your PC. You can also do this with [url=https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/partition-a-physical-disk-dskutl14027/mac]Partitions[/url]. - I hope this guide has given you an understanding on how you should protect yourself when surfing along the web. Stay safe out there! [spoiler][i]Edited: 06-13-2021[/i][/spoiler]