Website URL Scanners & Link Checker addons for your browser

Most security suites or antivirus software include a link scanner that will scan the URLs of the websites you visit and warn if the link you are about to visit is dangerous. You should always take some precautions before you click on any link. While you can always check for and report unsafe website URL’s from Internet Explorer, if you are looking for a stand-alone add-on or a toolbar for your web browser that will warn you of malicious links, this post is sure to interest you. We have already seen a list of some online URL Scanners that will scan websites for malware, virus, phishing threats.

URL Scanner addons for your browser

Here are some link checker browser add-ons that will check the URLs for you. You need to confirm that a link is safe or not before you decide to visit it:

1. WOT addon
2. Emsisoft Browser Security
3. McAfee SiteAdvisor
4. BitDefender TrafficLight
5. TrendProtect
6. Norton SafeWeb Lite
7. PCTools BrowserDefender
8. DrWeb Link Checker
9. AVG Secure Search Link Scanner
10. Web Security Guard
11. Kaspersky VirusDesk.

1] MyWot Addon

WOT or Web of Trust shows you results that are based on users’ experiences around the world. This will help you decide if the links are safe and therefore help you stay safe when you search, surf, and shop online. Its Traffic light style icons guide you to find trustworthy links on search engine results, social media, online email, as well as several other sites. It is a popular addon. We find this one quite reliable and useful.

2] Emsisoft Browser Security

Emsisoft Browser Security is a new light-weight browser extension for Firefox and Chrome which can stop malware and Phishing attacks. It blocks bad web pages, thereby saving your computer from harm.

3] McAfee SiteAdvisor

McAfee SiteAdvisor will add small site rating icons to your search results, as well as a browser button and optional search box. Together, these will alert you to potentially risky sites and help you stay safe and secure. These site ratings are based on tests conducted by McAfee using an army of computers that look for all kinds of threats. SiteAdvisor one is pretty dependable. Even if there are some false positives, if website owners bring it to their notice, they are prompt to re-check the URL and make the necessary changes.

4] BitDefender TrafficLight

BitDefender TrafficLight works with most Windows browsers. It scans the pages you visit for malware and phishing attempts and intercepts and blocks threats before it even reaches your computer, effectively blocking disguised or stealth attacks.

5] TrendProtect

TrendProtect is another free browser plug-in that helps you avoid Web pages with unwanted content and hidden threats. TrendProtect rates the current page and pages listed in Google, Bing, and Yahoo search results. You can use the rating to decide if you want to visit or avoid a given Web page.

6] Norton SafeWeb Lite

Norton Safe Web Lite is a free Web site rating service from Symantec that will let you surf the Web, use search engines, and shop online in safety. It uses signature-based file scanning, intrusion detection engines, behavioral detection and installs and uninstall analysis to identify potentially dangerous Web sites.

7] PCTools BrowserDefender

The Browser Defender toolbar allows you to surf safely by displaying site ratings as you browse the internet. When you visit a site, its server checks the address and Browser Defender then displays a safety rating based on any potentially malicious behavior or threats associated with the site. It also marks up search results provided by popular search engines so you can see which sites are unsafe before you visit them.

8] DrWeb Link Checker

Dr.Web LinkChecker scans web pages before they are opened. It also checks and warns users of social networking websites about the following links to other sites. It can detect and check malware links and scan downloadable Internet files.  It can also check links for scripts and frames. All these scans take just a few seconds.

9] AVG Secure Search Link Scanner

AVG Secure Search LinkScanner claims to provides safety ratings for each link in your search results, allowing you to instantly assess the safety of every site you’re interested in before you go there. Infected sites are marked so that you immediately know which sites are safe and which to avoid. It, therefore, alerts you before you visit dangerous webpages to make sure your identity, your personal information, and your PC are kept safe.

It has been known to give false positives at times. Take the instance of our own Forums. It continues to block our TWC Security Forums as dangerous – in spite of our contacting them and bringing it to their notice. So using this addon may keep you away from even genuine sites like ours.

10] Web Security Guard

Web Security Guard helps protect your computer from all kinds of Internet-based threats such as spyware, adware, spam, and viruses. It does so by displaying detailed information and user reviews before entering websites. Web Security Guard warns you before you access a dangerous website, so you can prevent infection of your computer and invasion of your privacy.

I do not know how reliable this one is, because this one, for instance, says we serve pop-up ads, which in fact we do not. We have approached them a few days back and are hoping that they will respond positively soon. They have replied saying that, “The websites here are reviewed by users, so the rating is made by people and they rate it as they want to rate it”.

11] Kaspersky VirusDesk

When it comes down to using Kaspersky VirusDesk to scan URLs, you can be certain that you’re getting the best service. You see, Kaspersky is one of the best-known internet security companies in the world with immense expertise in the field. The only downside to using VirusDesk is the need for folks to be registered. Visit the official website and click on the Web Address Analysis tab.

Almost all these security add-ons should work on popular browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer and Safari, but please re-confirm at the sites before you decide to download them. VTzilla from VirusTotal too is available – but for Firefox only.

Check out Lavasoft Web Companion, a free web protection software for your browser, too. Also, take a look at these Link Checkers & URL Scanners for Chrome Browser.

Which one do you use? Your recommendations would be most welcome!

These Browser Security Tests to check if your Browser is secure may also interest you. Go here if you are looking for Online URL Scanners to Scan websites for malware, virus, phishing, etc.