I love this little tip from New York Times' Tech Bits. Think you might have spotted a dandelion? Check the URL.
Phishers and jokers trick people like you and me by disguising a friendly URL in front of the symbol S3. So next time you see a URL like http://www.nytimes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/ it's a dandelion.
According to the Times, a lot of people and companies use Amazon's S3 service when they don't want to invest in their own server. While S3 may have real advantages for small companies - inexpensive data storage - it does have upsides for pranksters too. The source of the link is difficult to trace. Apparently, the trick is most commonly used by people who want to steal your online banking password, so make sure you check the URL before entering that safety pin.
Phishers and jokers trick people like you and me by disguising a friendly URL in front of the symbol S3. So next time you see a URL like http://www.nytimes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/ it's a dandelion.
According to the Times, a lot of people and companies use Amazon's S3 service when they don't want to invest in their own server. While S3 may have real advantages for small companies - inexpensive data storage - it does have upsides for pranksters too. The source of the link is difficult to trace. Apparently, the trick is most commonly used by people who want to steal your online banking password, so make sure you check the URL before entering that safety pin.
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