diff --git a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.stories.tsx b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.stories.tsx
index c25b618a87..d2b592a46e 100644
--- a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.stories.tsx
+++ b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.stories.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import hitchhiker from "../__resources__/hitchhiker.png";
 // @ts-ignore ignore unknown jpg
 import marvin from "../__resources__/marvin.jpg";
 import NavLink from "../navigation/NavLink";
-import ExternalLink from "../navigation/ExternalLink";
+import ExternalNavLink from "../navigation/ExternalNavLink";
 import { MemoryRouter } from "react-router-dom";
 
 const trillian: Me = {
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ const bindAvatar = (binder: Binder, avatar: string) => {
 };
 
 const bindLinks = (binder: Binder) => {
-  binder.bind("footer.information", () => <ExternalLink to="#" label="REST API" />);
-  binder.bind("footer.information", () => <ExternalLink to="#" label="CLI" />);
-  binder.bind("footer.support", () => <ExternalLink to="#" label="FAQ" />);
+  binder.bind("footer.information", () => <ExternalNavLink to="#" label="REST API" />);
+  binder.bind("footer.information", () => <ExternalNavLink to="#" label="CLI" />);
+  binder.bind("footer.support", () => <ExternalNavLink to="#" label="FAQ" />);
   binder.bind("profile.setting", () => <NavLink label="Authorized Keys" to="#" />);
 };
 
diff --git a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.tsx b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.tsx
index 8f27e8042a..355a74c67e 100644
--- a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.tsx
+++ b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/layout/Footer.tsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import NavLink from "../navigation/NavLink";
 import FooterSection from "./FooterSection";
 import styled from "styled-components";
 import { EXTENSION_POINT } from "../avatar/Avatar";
-import ExternalLink from "../navigation/ExternalLink";
+import ExternalNavLink from "../navigation/ExternalNavLink";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 
 type Props = {
@@ -99,12 +99,15 @@ const Footer: FC<Props> = ({ me, version, links }) => {
             <ExtensionPoint name="profile.setting" props={extensionProps} renderAll={true} />
           </FooterSection>
           <FooterSection title={<TitleWithIcon title={t("footer.information.title")} icon="info-circle" />}>
-            <ExternalLink to="https://www.scm-manager.org/" label={`SCM-Manager ${version}`} />
+            <ExternalNavLink to="https://www.scm-manager.org/" label={`SCM-Manager ${version}`} />
             <ExtensionPoint name="footer.information" props={extensionProps} renderAll={true} />
           </FooterSection>
           <FooterSection title={<TitleWithIcon title={t("footer.support.title")} icon="life-ring" />}>
-            <ExternalLink to="https://www.scm-manager.org/support/" label={t("footer.support.community")} />
-            <ExternalLink to="https://cloudogu.com/en/scm-manager-enterprise/" label={t("footer.support.enterprise")} />
+            <ExternalNavLink to="https://www.scm-manager.org/support/" label={t("footer.support.community")} />
+            <ExternalNavLink
+              to="https://cloudogu.com/en/scm-manager-enterprise/"
+              label={t("footer.support.enterprise")}
+            />
             <ExtensionPoint name="footer.support" props={extensionProps} renderAll={true} />
           </FooterSection>
         </div>
diff --git a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/ExternalLink.tsx b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/ExternalLink.tsx
index 1565f6fa79..bf1dbad5ea 100644
--- a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/ExternalLink.tsx
+++ b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/ExternalLink.tsx
@@ -22,34 +22,15 @@
  * SOFTWARE.
  */
 import React, { FC } from "react";
-import classNames from "classnames";
 
 type Props = {
   to: string;
-  icon?: string;
-  label: string;
 };
 
-// TODO is it used in the menu? should it use MenuContext for collapse state?
-
-const ExternalLink: FC<Props> = ({ to, icon, label }) => {
-  let showIcon;
-  if (icon) {
-    showIcon = (
-      <>
-        <i className={classNames(icon, "fa-fw")} />{" "}
-      </>
-    );
-  }
-
-  return (
-    <li>
-      <a target="_blank" href={to}>
-        {showIcon}
-        {label}
-      </a>
-    </li>
-  );
-};
+const ExternalLink: FC<Props> = ({ to, children }) => (
+  <a href={to} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
+    {children}
+  </a>
+);
 
 export default ExternalLink;
diff --git a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/ExternalNavLink.tsx b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/ExternalNavLink.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b88b495ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/ExternalNavLink.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * MIT License
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2020-present Cloudogu GmbH and Contributors
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ * SOFTWARE.
+ */
+import React, { FC } from "react";
+import classNames from "classnames";
+import ExternalLink from "./ExternalLink";
+
+type Props = {
+  to: string;
+  icon?: string;
+  label: string;
+};
+
+// TODO is it used in the menu? should it use MenuContext for collapse state?
+
+const ExternalNavLink: FC<Props> = ({ to, icon, label }) => {
+  let showIcon;
+  if (icon) {
+    showIcon = (
+      <>
+        <i className={classNames(icon, "fa-fw")} />{" "}
+      </>
+    );
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <li>
+      <ExternalLink to={to}>
+        {showIcon}
+        {label}
+      </ExternalLink>
+    </li>
+  );
+};
+
+export default ExternalNavLink;
diff --git a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/index.ts b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/index.ts
index 4dcce4321b..9ab01d755d 100644
--- a/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/index.ts
+++ b/scm-ui/ui-components/src/navigation/index.ts
@@ -33,3 +33,5 @@ export { default as PrimaryNavigationLink } from "./PrimaryNavigationLink";
 export { default as SecondaryNavigation } from "./SecondaryNavigation";
 export { MenuContext, StateMenuContextProvider } from "./MenuContext";
 export { default as SecondaryNavigationItem } from "./SecondaryNavigationItem";
+export { default as ExternalLink } from "./ExternalLink";
+export { default as ExternalNavLink } from "./ExternalNavLink";