QR (Quick Response) codes are going to be very popular this holiday season and can be found in magazines, posted in store windows, in bus stops and even on advertising signs. A legit QR code is designed to take you to a website of a product being sold , provide more information on a product, offer discount coupons or even provide you with a map to find the product at a cheaper price at another store.
With the ease of access of QR codes, also comes the ability of the criminal element to exploit this technology for financial gain. The criminal element are now replacing valid QR codes, with thier own, that when scanned with your smartphone can covertly cause your phone to send sms texts to a premium site in Russia. All of a sudden your $30.00 a month plan turns into a $350.00 dollar cellphone bill. It is only a matter of time before these QR codes will be designed to download a "remote access trojan" (RAT) onto your phone. Yet another reason to ensure that you have downloaded mobile malware protection.
To protect your smartphone from these mallicious QR codes, ensure that you use QR readers that preview the QR's URL, before the URL is auto loaded or auto run. Once you can confirm that the URL is legitimate, then you can click the "open the URL" button.
Safer QR Readers for iPhone: Red Laser Scanner or Bar-Code
Safer QR Readers for Android: QR Droid or Google Goggles
Darren
The Digital Sheepdog
