Patent ID: 7461257

Claim:
A computer program, embodied on a computer readable storage medium, for assisting a user to determine whether a hyperlink to a target uniform resource locator (URL) is spoofed, comprising: a code segment that listens with a computerized system for an activation of the hyperlink; a code segment 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 code segment that decrypts said encrypted data into decrypted data based on said originator identifier; a code segment 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 code segment that presents information on a display unit; a code segment that redirects; and a code segment that determines whether the hyperlink includes said originator identifier and said encrypted data decrypts successfully, and then: runs said code segment that presents, to present a confirmation of authentication to the user conveying the name of an owner and the domain name of the target URL, and runs said code segment that redirects, to redirect the user to the target URL; and otherwise, runs said code segment that presents, to present a warning dialog to the user.