A program that you may not be aware of can provide an extra layer of protection on top of your virus checker.
AVG Link Scanner checks links on webpages before you click them. Now just think about that for a second. The worst hole in any security system is always the user. Stupidness can be worked out mostly from any system, but there will always be the unknown action, or the random click. Using the internet is no different – and really if you want to be completely safe from malware, you need to change your surfing habits. Now however, AVG, the creator of the free virus checking software, has released a free link scanner, to hopefully help people redefine their habits, and intervene if it thinks you’re about to make a big mistake.
Safari, Chrome & Opera users have been missed out a bit here – Link Scanner is only for Firefox & Internet Explorer. The program installs and runs in the background with a minimal hit on computer resources, and vets all links before you click on them. As an added bonus, all results in Google, Bing & Yahoo! search will also display threat indicators next to the link header.
I don’t think this should be thought of a reason for you to start clicking on anything without thinking, but it adds another layer to your security that could prove very useful. Just remember that the first line of defence is YOU!
Go here to download the latest version of AVG Link Scanner.