What are short urls?

Introduction

We all know how useful it is to use short URLs. These are web addresses in which we can reduce their size in order to send them by email or other means of online messaging. A priori, it is a great utility, as they are easier for the user to remember and take up less space. However, if we analyse it in more detail, we will see below that it is better to avoid using them.

An article has shown that URL shortening can have serious privacy consequences. Because short URLs are so short, they are vulnerable to hacking by brute-force exploitation. This means that attackers can guess several short URLs and read all the ones that work. They found that short URLs shared on a cloud service are effectively public. And in the case of Microsoft OneDrive, they are vulnerable to malware injection as well.

In the case of cloud storage services such as Microsoft OneDrive, this not only leads to the leakage of confidential documents, but also allows anyone to inject arbitrary malicious content into unlocked accounts. Worst of all, they are automatically copied to all the account owner's devices.

Google has preferred to lengthen URLs and block automated scanning. And Microsoft no longer allows OneDrive users to share files with shortened URLs. Although previously shared links are still active and exposed data is still vulnerable. The fact that private short URLs could become public is not just one reason not to shorten URLs. There are other reasons, which we set out below.

You should not click on short URLs

Many people use short, legitimate-looking URLs to hide the destination website. In this way they lure users to fraudulent pages, or even to sites containing malware. Some URL shorteners allow the user (i.e. the person shortening the URL) to record the IP address of the destination, even if the user does not visit your site. Therefore, it is not a bad idea to be wary of short URLs, even if some seem legitimate. There are sites (such as URLex.org o CheckShortURL.com) that provide destination previews of short URLs so that users can see which links they are leading to.

Not knowing the destination of short URLs

Even if you are not sharing a malicious link or spam, users do not know where you are sending them, and may end up on a website they would not normally choose to visit. Therefore, this may make them less likely to click on short URLs in the future. Use the full link so that users can make an informed and legitimate decision.

You will have less control if you use short URLs.

Sometimes legitimate short URLs are reported as spam, which causes URL shortening sites to be disabled. Some shortening services stop working (temporarily or permanently) or end up on spam lists.

As we have seen, it is not so useful to make use of such short URLs. Using the full URL promotes honesty, transparency and good digital hygiene. Publishing short URLs does the opposite. So when is it best to use them? Well, on rare occasions, for example, sharing a youtube video, or the location link url provided by google maps.