System for detecting spoofed hyperlinks

A system for assisting a user to determine whether a hyperlink to a target uniform resource locator (URL) is spoofed, the system comprising:

• a computerized system having a display unit;
• a logic in said computerized system that listens for activation of the hyperlink;
• a logic that extracts an originator identifier and encrypted data from the hyperlink, wherein said encrypted data associated with said hyperlink does not include payload data;
• a logic that decrypts said encrypted data into decrypted data based on said originator identifier;
• a logic that matches said originator identifier from said hyperlink to one of a plurality of
• registered originators against a unique identity extracted from said decrypted data:
• a logic that determines whether the hyperlink includes said originator identifier and that said encrypted data decrypts successfully;
• a logic responsive to said logic that determines, that presents on said display unit a confirmation of authentication conveying the name of an owner and the domain name of the target URL and that redirects the user to the target URL;
• and
• a logic responsive to said logic that determines, that presents on said display unit a warning dialog to the user.

A method for assisting a user to determine whether a hyperlink to a target uniform resource locator (URL) is spoofed, the method comprising:

• listening for an activation of the hyperlink;
• extracting an originator identifier and encrypted data from the hyperlink, wherein said encrypted data associated with said hyperlink does not include payload data;
• decrypting said encrypted data into decrypted data based on said originator identifier;
• matching said originator identifier from said hyperlink to one of a plurality of registered
• originators against a unique identity extracted from said decrypted data:
• when the hyperlink includes said originator identifier and said encrypted data decrypts
• successfully:
• presenting a confirmation of authentication to the user, wherein said confirmation of authentication conveys the name of an owner and the domain name of the target URL;
• and
• redirecting the user to the target URL;
• and otherwise, presenting a warning dialog to the user.