Video: What Is Quishing & How to Protect Your Personal Information

think twice before scanning that QR code find out why in this latest video what's up everybody welcome back to ecurity Planet your go-to channel for everything cyber security I'm your host Davin Jackson today's video is all about QR codes I know you've seen them everywhere from Billboards TV shows commercials your favorite shops and restaurants and even houses but what do they do and more importantly why should you be careful when using them more on that in 1 second but first make sure to subscribe to the channel and click the bell for notifications so you can know when we post new content here on ecurity planet with that out of the way let's get back into it so what are QR codes QR codes which are short for quick response codes allow users to access information instantly from their phone or mobile device once the code is scanned it will quickly redirect you to a website someone's contact information SMS or text messages or similar links in applications and although this may be a convenient way to exchange information it may not be the safest and that's because malicious actors and scammers also use QR codes to steal your personal information quing I know it's a weird name I didn't come up with it but it means QR fishing and it's a type of Cyber attack in which scammers use QR codes to direct individuals to malicious websites to persuade them to download harmful content the objective of this attack is to steal sensitive data like passwords financial information or other personal identifiable information also known as pii they will then leverage this information to steal the victim's identity commit financial fraud or carry out other attacks like ransomware attacks what makes this attack worse or better if you're the attacker is that quing often bypasses most cyber defenses like virus scanners or secure email gateways and that's because the malicious content is disguised as a harmless image and this allows attackers to Target vulnerable users using this form of fishing and practically going undetected attackers can send QR codes to unsuspecting victims through various methods for example they can place their malicious codes in public places where it's really busy or on street parking meters garages Sports Arenas concert venues restaurants Grocery and retail stores the list is endless they can also play sticket with their QR codes over legitimate ones or even email or text a malicious code directly to the users when users scan a QR code it will redirect them to the scammer's website which looks like the real thing the website will then trick the user into downloading malware or sharing personal information these are things like your usernames and passwords Social Security numbers home addresses birth dates and more so how can you protect yourself from becoming a victim of this attack well we created a list of things that you can do to make sure that you're not a victim of QR code identity theft first always do your due diligence before scanning any code if possible try rubbing your finger over it and making sure that the sticker isn't sitting over another code next check the destination URL for any errors or typos when in doubt Google the website or type in the URL in the browser yourself if you do scan a QR code and you notice that the URL or website has any errors or misspellings it could be a fake site do not proceed any further if the code asks you to install any special QR code scanner do not download or use a scanner that they recommend the default scanner on your phone or mobile device should be enough if you do have to install a QR code scanner make sure it's from a legitimate source and it offers security features like check in the URL for any security threats before opening it next never scan codes you receive unexpectedly or from someone you don't know even if they sound legitimate or they're offering you a million bucks if you do get a code from someone you know make sure you confirm with that person first before scanning remember never trust always verify another thing you can do is make sure that your phones and apps are up to date with the latest patches and software and also make sure you're protecting your phone and your accounts with strong passwords and multiactor authentication so there you have it QR codes may be convenient but they also pose a major risk if you're not cautious by following these tips you can significantly reduce your chances of falling victim to QR code fishing let me know in the comment section below if you've ever been tempted to scan a random QR code on something like a billboard or a promotional flyer also make make sure you stay informed by subscribing to all of our platforms including our cyber security Insider newsletter this way you can get all the top Cyber News Trends and Analysis sent directly to your inbox multiple times a week and like always you can keep it locked in here at ecurity Planet

This transcript was generated automatically from the video's captions and may contain errors.