Hunter Morgan

Journal Entry – Week 6

Fake websites are absolutely everywhere online. Almost everyone could go to their email right now and find a fake link that was sent to them. However, sometimes it is very difficult to actually tell any difference between the two. I am currently studying for my Security+ 601 Certification, and during my studies I have learned quite a few things about the different tactics used on fake websites. It could be the websites URL, for starters, this would be the first sign if you are able to see it. Common ways they make it seem like the real website are by swapping a letter or symbol with a look alike version. For example, a lowercase L looks like this, “l”, while a capital I looks like “I”, which shows they are practically identical. If that was a part of the URL, it would be very difficult to tell. Another thing to look for when you are on the website is anything badly misspelled, since the fake websites usually have errors. You can also look at the logo on the page, to observe if it looks blurred or off in any way. There are many ways you can spot a fake website, but the criminals are getting better at hiding them each day, so we need to always use the internet with caution.