Covid-19 has seen more than 100 countries across the world desperately launching QR codes to trace human movement in order to effectively control the virus spread in the fight against this terrible pandemic that has hit more than 200 countries globally.
This is the time where we should be very vigilant when we scan QR codes to make sure we keep our mobile data safe from hackers and scammers. If you care about your mobile security, stay away from malicious QR codes!
This is the time where we should be very vigilant when we scan QR codes to make sure we keep our mobile data safe from hackers and scammers. If you care about your mobile security, stay away from malicious QR codes!
Share Share News Singapore has researched the internet to offer you some practical advice on how to spot and avoid malicious QR codes:
- CHOOSE a highly reviewed mobile QR code / barcode-scanning app that previews URLs. Avoid scanning suspicious codes and links that don’t seem to match the ads they’re incorporated in; also avoid shortened links that may disguise the website address that they link to once you scan the QR code with your mobile phone.
- DO NOT scan QR codes in the form of stickers placed randomly on walls. QR codes can be generated by anybody and stuck on walls in public places. And in today’s QR code hype, scammers think someone’s bound to scan such a code, just for curiosity. They can also stick malicious QR codes over legit ones on a billboard. So look at a QR code placed in public places closely before you scan it.
- BE extra careful if your smartphone works on the Android mobile operating system. Android is an open platform, which means that its source code can be examined by criminals and exploited easily when they find a weakness in, say, the Android browser. That’s why most malicious apps transmitted via QR codes target the Android-based smartphones. So, make sure your Android browser is always up-to-date and only scan QR codes from trusted sources.
- INSTALL a mobile security app right away. An efficient mobile security suite, e.g. Kaspersky QR Scanner (free to download), can protect you from all living cyber-creatures, such as viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and other malware that can be transmitted via QR codes. Such reputable QR scanners usually are equipped with powerful antivirus system that runs silently in the background to protect you, and a Security Manager that enables you to edit the Antitheft and Parental Control settings.
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