Defend Yourself Online: 20+ Free Easy-to-Use Tools to Detect Scams, AI Content, and Security Threats
For many who don't work in IT or cybersecurity, knowing how to protect yourself online can be challenging. Here are a handful of the many free, easy-to-use cybersecurity tools that professionals use to protect themselves and their workplaces online.
Tools to bookmark:
Safe Browsing – Check a site’s reputation before clicking
Scam Checkers – Unsure about communication? Check if it's a known scam.
Short URL Expanders – Know the full path of a website before you click.
Hacked Password and Email Verification – Check to see if the password you are using has been hacked before.
QR Code Validator – Know where that QR code wants to take you before you go there.
Phishing Verifier – Phishing methods often get reused; validate them here.
Password Strength Checker – Make sure your passwords are strong (and use two-factor authentication ;-)
AI Detectors – Discover if AI was used in a communication or image; it can help protect you from scams.
Safe Browsing Tools
virustotal.com – VirusTotal is a staple in every Information Security (InfoSec) professional's toolkit. You can upload suspicious files and check URLs (including short URLs, IP addresses, domains, or file hashes) to validate their legitimacy. It analyzes your submissions through nearly 100 security vendors and provides easy-to-understand results.
urlscan.io – Similar to VirusTotal, URLScan.io provides a quick view of URLs and includes additional features worth exploring.
transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search – Google's Safe Browsing provides super-fast and straightforward feedback on a website's safety.
urlvoid.com – URLVoid, website reputation checker.
Scam Checkers
scamadviser.com – Scam Advisor provides information on websites, phone numbers, cryptocurrencies, and Bank Account Numbers (IBAN).
scamwatch.gov.au – The Australian government has launched a site to protect its citizens from scams. Other governments should take note. Well done, Australia!
Expand Short URLs
expandurl.net – ExpandURL
checkshorturl.com – CheckShortURL
wheregoes.com – Where Goes
virustotal.com – VirusTotal, mentioned above, will also expose short URLs.
Hacked Password and Email Validator
haveibeenpwned.com – Have I Been Pwned, has been around for some years now. Cybersecurity professionals frequently use it to check if emails or passwords have been compromised.
QR Code Validator
dnschecker.org/qr-code-scanner.php – DNS Checker, a tool used by IT systems and security professionals, can check where QR codes redirect you.
Phishing Verifier
phishtank.com – PhishTank, join the fight against phishing. This site is dedicated to combating online phishing scams. You can submit and track suspected phishing attempts, as well as validate other submissions.
Password Strength Checker
delinea.com/resources/password-strength-checker – Delinea (formerly Thycotic) is a password strength checker tool. Until passwords are completely phased out, Delinea offers an excellent resource for assessing password strength. While many tools do not accept passphrases, you can still create complex passwords that are easier to remember.
A passphrase is similar to a password but generally longer and designed to be memorable, allowing for spaces between words.
For example, consider Shakespeare's phrase:
All the world's a stage
This is 23 characters long and easy to remember. To create a secure password, you can adapt the phrase like this:
All-th3-world^s-a-st@ge
It's still 23 characters, meets complexity requirements, and according to Delinea, it would take 78 septillion years to crack.
AI Detection
Cybercriminals are capitalizing on the immense potential of AI. AI is ever-changing, as it rapidly evolves, new tools will undoubtedly emerge. Regardless of your interest in AI, its pervasive nature affects us all, making it crucial to stay informed. Keep these links handy; this list will undoubtedly change and grow over time.
NOTE: Most of these are available for free use, with an optional upgrade to a paid service.
CopyLeaks – copyleaks.com/plagiarism-checker – AI checks for plagiarism
SightEngine – sightengine.com/detect-ai-generated-images – Generated AI image detection
Scribbr – scribbr.com/ai-detector – Generated AI detection
Grammarly – grammarly.com/ai-detector – Generated AI detection
GPTZero – gptzero.me – Generated AI detection
ZeroGPT – zerogpt.com – Generated AI detection
Sapling – sapling.ai/ai-content-detector – Generated AI detection
One crucial security awareness lesson
Aside from having a good antivirus, if I could distill cybersecurity awareness training into a single piece of advice, it would be this: Social engineering attacks are common; they exploit your emotions to create a false sense of urgency. Be mindful of your feelings when interacting with unfamiliar individuals. Most commonly, bad actors use a sense of urgency to prompt you to act quickly. However, some attacks employ a psychological long game, building trust over many months while gathering information before making their move.
Social media enables people to connect and develop virtual relationships over time, some of which can become quite strong and enduring. However, some bad actors understand this dynamic and target individuals to establish long-term virtual relationships, thereby building trust and making their scams more effective. The psychological tactics, subtlety, and patience employed by these individuals are as astonishing as they are horrifying. Because of this reality, it's imperative to remember that unless you have met them and have known them for years, you don't really know them. When they ask you for something, whether it's money or a meeting, be cautious.
I know an intelligent person who fell victim to a scam. They had built a friendship with the scammer over the course of a year and a half. This person believed they had gotten to know their virtual friend quite well, and when that friend fell on hard times and asked for help, they agreed to assist, only to end up losing many thousands of dollars. As soon as the scammer received the money they were after, they vanished without a trace. Scammers often keep profiles on their victims, take notes, and remember what was said, all to appear as convincing as possible.
In today's world, it is necessary to be vigilant and verify everything.
About Me
I help fast-growing companies architect secure, scalable environments that align with business strategy. Whether you're preparing for acquisition, expanding into new markets, or just tired of hoping nothing goes wrong, I can help you build it right.
Let’s talk,
Kurt Smith
