When it comes to cutting grass (readers of a certain age will understand the reference!) a hover may or may not be the way to go.
But when it comes to IT security, hovering is definitely worth the “bovver”. Hovering your mouse over a link, that is.
Hover your mouse over links in emails!
Here’s why:
Online fraud is increasing constantly, and a favourite method of scammers is to send an email containing a link (web link, or hyperlink) to a malicious website. If the email looks convincing enough, or if you are not being vigilant, a click on the link then takes you the malicious site, where your personal information may be stolen, or malware may be downloaded to your computer.
However, it IS possible to get a sneaky preview at the URL in the link, by just holding (not clicking) your mouse in position over the link. When you do this, the full URL is displayed in a pop-up window (watch this short video if you need more explanation). So you can check where you are being directed to before clicking.
Two benefits of hovering
- You can check whether the URL matches where it says the link is taking you, meaning that you can avoid clicking on the link if it is malicious.
- The act of hovering BEFORE clicking just gives you a minute to breathe, and consider, before automatically clicking through.
So we think that hovering is the way to go.
It could be a lot more bovver if you don’t hover!
For more advice on any aspect of keeping your business data safe online, give us a call in the datamills office on 0114 287 0510, or email us at info@datamills.co.uk