71% of users cannot distinguish between malicious and harmless QR codes

[Brother]

Cybersecurity experts warn about the dangers of QR codes that attackers can use in conjunction with social engineering. Such schemes allow opening accounts of users of online banking, emptying bank accounts of victims, as well as installing malware and infiltrating corporate systems.

Experts call QR codes an ideal attack vector because many trust them and underestimate their malicious potential. A study by MobileIron clearly shows the growing popularity of QR codes as one of the attack methods. The specialists surveyed over 2,100 clients and found out interesting details regarding the use of QR codes.

For example, 71% of respondents cannot distinguish a malicious QR code from a harmless one. At the same time, almost 17% were faced with a situation in which it was these codes that redirected their mobile devices to suspicious sites.

According to American Express, in 2020, analysts have noted an increase in the popularity of QR codes. For example, 27% of Americans and Britons surveyed made transactions using these codes.

At the same time, the MobileIron team found ten ways to hack a user's mobile device using QR codes generated in a matter of seconds. For example, a potential attacker can access your contact list, email, text messages, geolocation, hack your banking account, and more.

At MobileIron we are convinced that QR codes are already a part of our life, and that is why it is important to consider their potential danger.