Avoid Unsafe Websites
Google does a good job of monitoring the web and seeking out unsafe websites. But there are two types of unsafe sites. Those that are unsafe by design and those that have unknowingly been compromised with malware. Google doesn’t discriminate and will flag either type. But what if you want to find out for yourself if a site is safe to visit.
Google Safe Browsing
Google states, “Google’s Safe Browsing technology examines billions of URLs per day looking for unsafe websites. Every day, we discover thousands of new unsafe sites, many of which are legitimate websites that have been compromised. When we detect unsafe sites, we show warnings on Google Search and in web browsers. You can search to see whether a website is currently dangerous to visit.”
Visit this link to get some peace of mind before visiting a site you’re not sure about.
Other Safe Browsing Services
There are other services that will do the same for you.
Norton Safe Web is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to check the safety of any website. You can also add their safe browser extensions which will warn you of a potentially dangerous web site. Website owners who want ongoing peace of mind can signup for a subscription service that will have Norton experts analyze your site and provide feedback.
Unmask Parasites is another service that will provide comprehensive data on a web site’s safety.
SSL & HTTPS
Google favors sites that are secure so look for the HTTPS:// in the address bar. If it’s not there it does not mean the site is unsafe. Only that it does not have an SSL certificate. Sites with an SSL certificate get a ranking boost from Google. Google has been requiring this of websites for some time now. It’s all part of an effort to make the web a safer place.
At one point a few months back I was dismayed to see that Google flagged our site as being potentially unsafe. This was disturbing since our site is scanned regularly and we don’t accept credit cards and don’t request any visitor information. The only way we could rid ourselves of that distinction was to get and SSL. Once we did no problem.
Whether you are a site owner or a visitor you can’t be too safe in today’s world.
