Scanning URLs with Bolster
Overview: Bolster’s Scan Feature
Bolster’s URL scanning feature lets you scan and investigate suspicious websites without visiting them or exposing your organization to threats. With each scan, security teams can quickly identify phishing attempts, understand the findings, and take action.
There are two scanning modes: Standard Scan for evaluating multiple URLs at once, and Premium Scan for advanced evaluation of a single URL.
This article explains different ways to scan URLs on Bolster and options for responding to the findings.
Note: Standard Scan and Premium Scan only support websites, not social media or app store URLs. To scan those, use Bolster’s dedicated Social Media or App Store modules.
Standard Scan
Standard Scan lets you evaluate up to 10 URLs at a time.
How to Use Standard Scan
- Select up to two IP Locations. Using different countries helps check for geo-fenced scam sites.
- (optional) Select a User Agent to simulate specific devices and browsers.
- (optional) Select a Timeout for Page Scan to adjust the wait time, especially if previous scans timed out.
- (optional) Select Add Check Frequently Tag to have Bolster automatically rescan the URL every four hours.
- Enter up to 10 URLs to be scanned, one per line.
Note: The Add Check Frequently Tag checkbox is currently in limited release. If you need access to the feature, contact support@bolster.ai.
Premium Scan
Premium Scan uses advanced scanning strategies to detect evasive or geo-fenced threats for one URL at a time.
Note: Premium Scan is currently in limited release. If you need access to the feature, contact support@bolster.ai.
How to Use Premium Scan
- Select one premium IP location.
- (optional) Select Smart Location Selection to have Bolster select multiple scan locations. Results take longer but are higher quality.
- (optional) Select Add Check Frequently Premium Tag to have Bolster automatically rescan the URL every 12 hours.
- Enter one URL to be scanned. Premium Scan supports one website per scan. With Premium Scan, user agent and timeout are managed automatically by Bolster.
Note: The Add Check Frequently Premium Tag option is currently in limited release. If you need access to the feature, contact support@bolster.ai.
Reviewing Scan Results
Scan results appear directly on the Scan page after a Standard or Premium scan completes. Use the Team View toggle when reviewing scan results to see only your scans, or all scans across teams.
Findings include a Disposition (verdict) and Category (intent) for each URL. URLs marked as phish or scam are automatically scheduled for takedown within 24 hours, with no action required from your team.
Premium results are labeled Premium Scan. When Smart Location is used, locations are listed in the result. Hover for details about each location’s finding.
You have the option to respond to scan results in the following ways:
- To disagree with the disposition of one or more results, select the relevant results, then select Dispute All under Bulk Actions and complete the form. A takedown support ticket is created automatically.
- To request immediate takedown of one or more results, select the relevant results, then select Request Takedown under Bulk Actions and complete the form. This is only necessary if you don’t want to wait for the scheduled daily takedown. If a URL is marked as clean or suspicious, you cannot request a takedown without disputing the disposition first.
