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

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

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

Experts call QR codes an ideal attack vector because many trust them and underestimate their malicious potential. MobileIron's research clearly shows the growing popularity of QR codes as one of the attack methods. Experts interviewed over 2,100 clients and found out interesting details regarding the use of QR codes.

For example, 71% of respondents cannot distinguish between a malicious QR code and a harmless one. At the same time, almost 17% were faced with a situation in which just such codes 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 the 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.

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