Be Aware of the Hidden Dangers of QR codes!

Hackers continue to get more sophisticated, one threat that is trending is “Quishing”, (QR code phishing attacks).

How it works: You receive a notification, (email, or text) that looks likes it’s coming from a trusted source such as Rogers, Best Buy or Indeed. These notifications will use different tactics to manipulate you into acting such as offering special product discounts, job offers, anything that is compelling to get you to do what they want you to do. They will often disarm you by providing a link to what appears to be the trusted source’s website and then manipulate you into scanning a QR code to get a product discount, only as soon as you scan the QR code you have just installed malware. The big issue with Quishing, is that it bypasses security systems scanning for malware, because QR codes are delivered as images. This is why you need to be vigilant!

Tips to Protect Yourself:

Verify the URL –  Before downloading, check the URL linked to the QR code. Make sure it matches the website or service you are expecting to connect to.

Make sure the URL related to the QR code shows “https://” – which indicates a secure connection.

Consider using a QR code app that warns you if there is a security risk – the trick is that you need to do your research as there are QR & Bar Code Scanner apps that will download malware.

Here is a list of apps that are ranked highly for security:

Norton Snap QR Code Reader (iOS/Android)

It scans QR codes and warns you if the website it leads to is unsafe or if the code itself is fake. The app also has the added feature of protecting against known phishing attacks.           

Trend Micro QR Scanner (iOS/Android)

This app checks the safety of URL’s embedded in QR codes and warns if the link is unsafe. It also offers a secure built-in browser for secure viewing of websites.

Avira QR Scanner (iOS/Android)

This app will warn you if the QR code leads to potentially harmful sites or malware downloads. It also has the added feature of being able to scan Wi-Fi networks for security issues.

Bitdefender (Android)

This app scans QR codes and checks embedded URLs against a database of known malicious sites. It warns you if the link is suspicious.

Kim Krushell

Co-Founder