If You Use QR Codes, Learn These 7 Steps To Avoid Cyber Disaster

NEW DELHI: Quick Response codes, or simply the QR codes, are a lifesaver in the digital era. Their usage of has gone up dramatically and why not, since they help us look for a product’s details, make payments in a jiffy, receive money in a blink – and all this without any hassle.

However, a security expert warns that QR codes could allow hackers to access your phone and suggests that these ubiquitous matrices of barcodes and cyber dots could lead to disaster if handled carelessly.

According to Len Noe of CyberArk, phone users should always make sure they are using a QR code from a trusted source before pointing their cameras at them, as they are more vulnerable to cyber criminals than most people believe.

“When you sit at a restaurant and see a QR code on the table, chances are you’ll scan it without thinking, expecting it to take you to the menu,” Noe adds.

“But what if that identical QR code was included in an email from someone you’ve never met? Would you scan it as quickly or would it pause you?”

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Noe cited the controversial Coinbase 2022 Super Bowl commercial, which included a minute-long multi-colored QR code.

The cyber blogger also advised users to be cautious while scanning QR codes that are only stickers.

Noe advised everyone to pause and consider, “What’s stopping a threat actor from simply slapping a harmful QR code sticker on top of this one?”

According to Noe’s site, there are seven techniques to prevent hackers from accessing your personal information using a QR code.

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The seven steps are as follows:

● Please do not scan it.

● Take it easy.

● Examine QR code URLs carefully.

● Look for physical tampering signs.

● Never use QR codes to download apps.

● Make no electronic payments using QR codes.

● Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Noe also provided instances of how hackers can use QR codes to obtain your data, such as a realistic-looking ad for a job fair with a code that directs users to a form to fill out, a form where all of the data might be obtained by hackers.

He also warned of QR code phishing tactics, such as phoney adverts with the codes in emails. Remember, a little caution at your end would go a long way in securing your online transactions.

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