Every day the number of sites on the Internet is increasing. But not all of them are safe for the user. Unfortunately, online fraud is very common, and it is important for ordinary users who are not familiar with all the security rules to protect themselves.

WOT (Web of Trust) is a browser extension that shows how much you can trust a particular site. It displays the reputation of every site and every link before you even visit it. Thanks to this, you can protect yourself from visiting dubious sites.

You can install the extension from the official website:

Or from the Google extension store:

Previously, WOT was a pre-installed extension in Yandex Browser, and it could be enabled on the Add-ons page. However, now users can install this extension voluntarily using the links above.

It's very easy to do. For example Chrome extensions it's done like this. Click on the button " Install»:

In the confirmation pop-up window, select “ Install extension»:

How WOT works

To obtain an assessment about a site, databases such as Google Safebrowsing, Yandex Safebrowsing API, etc. are used. In addition, part of the assessment is the assessment of WOT users who visited a particular site before you. You can read more about how this works on one of the pages of the official WOT website:.

Using WOT

After installation, an extension button will appear on the toolbar. By clicking on it, you can see how other users rated this site according to various parameters. You can also view your reputation and comments here. But the beauty of the extension lies elsewhere: it displays the security of the sites you are about to go to. It looks something like this:

In the screenshot, you can trust all the sites and visit them without fear.

But besides this, you can come across sites with a different level of reputation: dubious and dangerous. By looking at the site's reputation level, you can see the reason for this rating:

When you go to a site with a bad reputation, you will receive the following notification:

You can always continue to use the site, since this extension only provides recommendations and does not limit your online activities.

Thanks to the enormous popularity of Internet resources, the number of sites is growing by the dozens every minute. They are all different. Some of them are purely informational, others function as online stores, and others are collectors of malware and viruses. But what if, when we click on a link, we don’t know what awaits us when the page loads? If Yandex Browser is installed on your computer, then there is great news for you.

WOT, also known as Web of Trust, is a unique extension created in July 2006 for different browsers, including Google, Firefox, Yandex.

This program was developed to increase the security of users who prefer to access the Internet using the Yandex Browser. The point of this plugin is so that you can see how safe a particular site is even before you decide to click on a link and see what is inside. This became possible due to the fact that the extension displays the site’s rating already on the search engine page.

A few years earlier, Yandex Browser was released with an extension already installed. It only needed to be enabled in the add-on settings; there was no need to download it. But today, the developers decided to rid the browser of this plugin. Now it is downloaded solely at the request of the user.

Installing this extension is quite simple - by searching the Internet, you need to find the WOT application and download it to your computer.

For example, you can download Web of Trust from the site https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/wot-web-of-trust-website/bhmmomiinigofkjcapegjjndpbikblnp?hl=ru

By clicking on the attached link, you will see such a window, in it you need to click on the blue button with the inscription: “INSTALL” (the button is located in the upper right corner). Next, the download will start automatically.

When the program is installed, a green circle will appear in the upper right corner of your browser; if you click on it, you can see a report on the site's reputation.

How the Web of Trust application works

In order to be able to provide users with objective data about the operation and security of sites, the plugin draws information from many databases, the largest of which are Google and Yandex Safebrowsing. Also, the ratings of sites are significantly influenced by the ratings and reviews of network users. On the official website of the developers you can find a lot of useful information about the principles WOT works and you can download the plugin there.

How to use the WOT program

The Web of Trust plugin does not prohibit the use of sites with a bad reputation and does not block them in any way; it only warns about a perceived threat. Just at first glance at the site’s link, it will be clear whether it is safe, or whether it is better to refrain from visiting it. In the photo posted above you can see that all application icons are green, which means that the rating and security are at the highest level. There are several color options for the icon; accordingly, they are placed on sites with different levels of reputation. You can find out the reason for the reduced security level by hovering your mouse over the application icon.

On dangerous sites, the extension will display an additional warning icon.

Among other things, WOT makes it possible to find out the details of how certain points are awarded to the site. This can be done using the following manipulations:

• hover your mouse over the application icon next to the site name;
• Left-click on the icon with an arrow and the words “view full report”

After switching to a new window, a window in English will open in front of you:

By closing it, you will have access to user reviews, reputation and information about the site. But be prepared that everything created by the developers will be exclusively in English.

You can be not only a contemplator, but also actively take part in improving the service. This is possible by writing informative reviews about the program, while pointing out its shortcomings. Also, you have a direct influence on the compilation of ratings, because, like all users of the WOT extension, you can vote or leave feedback on the sites you visit.

Criteria for evaluating sites using the WOT plugin

There are only two general criteria that a plugin uses to determine its rating and reputation:

1. Trust of network users. The developer of the trust by this phrase means the following theses: the direct trust of users in a particular website, the safety of its use and the absence malicious files and viruses, compliance of the site name with its internal content. Also, low ratings are earned if it becomes known that the site steals personal data or is a product of fraud, scams, distributes spyware, etc. Another reason for a negative rating is a large number of pop-up windows with advertising or links to another site.
2. The level of security is specifically for persons under the age of majority. This means the presence of pornographic materials or scenes of violence on the selected site. Negative marks are also given for posting materials that may provoke minors to actions contrary to the law.

Check the reputation and security of sites by enlisting the experience of other users. Official Web of Trust extension for Chrome.

★★★★★ “Your new favorite add-on” - PCMag.com ★★★★★ “Excellent and free” - PCWorld The Web Of Trust (WOT) add-on is a tool for assessing the reputation of sites, helping users understand whether trust this or that site when searching, surfing or shopping on the Internet. Web Of Trust is built on the principles of crowdsourcing. Millions of users rate websites and share personal experiences. Their reviews help you avoid online threats that only humans can detect, such as online scams, suspicious links, and unscrupulous online stores. HOW WOT WORKS After installing WOT, a site reputation indicator appears next to the search results in the form of “traffic lights”: green for “good”, red for “danger” and yellow for “caution!”. The same icon appears next to links in in social networks, on the pages postal services and other popular sites. By clicking on the icon, you will learn more information about the reputation and security of the site, and you can also read user reviews. A green “signal” means that users have rated the site as reliable and trustworthy. Red warns of potential online threats, while yellow tells you to be careful when visiting the site. WOT guards the safety of every user! ADVANTAGES OF WEB OF TRUST Millions of users included in the global WOT community rate sites and leave reviews based on personal experience. In addition, a source of information about malware and other possible online threats become verified third-party resources. You too can share your experiences by rating sites and helping to make the Internet safe for everyone. Install the WOT add-on! Be confident in the site's reputation and help make the Internet better for everyone! PRIVACY To publish information about the reliability and popularity of sites (“traffic lights”), ratings and other data, we collect anonymous information about site traffic, browser usage, domains visited by users and other anonymous information. Before installing WOT, we recommend that you read our privacy policy: https://www.mywot.com/en/privacy/privacy_policy This description is a translation of the original English version, made for the convenience of users, and may differ from the original.?hl=en) , which shall prevail in the event of any discrepancies with any translations.

A free extension that can be installed on any browser, including Internet Explorer. The main purpose of the add-on is your protection on the network and system security by protecting you from potentially dangerous resources. Installing the extension for Google Chrome and other browsers is very simple; it can be done in just a couple of seconds. Working with the program is easy, but no less effective.

A special icon is displayed in front of all links in the search results; it comes in different colors, depending on the danger or security of the site. If the icon color is green, it means the resource is completely safe. A yellow icon warns that the page has not been checked, but most likely it will not harm you. Red indicates the site is dangerous. It is strictly not recommended to visit “red sites”; most likely you will end up with scammers or a phishing resource.

Advantages of the Web of Trust program:

1. The ranking of sites is given only by users who have already been there; the extension only reflects their general opinion.
2. The program is very easy to install.
3. An unreliable site is immediately visible, the icon is clearly legible.
4. A huge base of opinions that is taken into account when evaluating pages.
5. The rating is given according to several criteria at once: reliability, user feedback, information protection and safety for children.

Disadvantages HERE:

1. The website reputation system is not fully developed. Many false assessments have been noticed. Some verified sites have yellow or even red marks. This is evidenced by a large number of reviews and complaints from owners.
2. One user rating with a high rating is worth several with a low rating. A well-promoted user is not always an expert and sometimes gives an “out of the blue” assessment.
3. There is a possibility of increasing ratings. After all, you can even buy a rating.

So what's the bottom line?

Web of Trust displays malicious sites well and is able to help untrained users avoid the main dangers. You can simply install the plugin and forget about it. But not everything is as good as it seems. We do not recommend believing these statistics just because the one who has more money is able to buy himself a positive rating, enjoy the trust of users and “supply” them with his “miracle software”. The choice is yours, in any case, links from which you can download and install the Russian version of the extension for different browsers for free can be found below.