The dangers of QR codes for security

A large number of end-user computers are mobile devices and the lion’s share of those are smartphones. APTs are increasingly targeting the mobile market.

“Mobile malware increased more than 1,000-percent in 2012 alone,” said Catalin Cosoi, Chief Security Researcher, BitDefender. BitDefender bases this data on analyses of mobile threats it collects via honeypots.

Criminal hackers use malicious QR codes for the same reasons they use any attack on mobile devices: the mobile market is outpacing PCs, creating a bigger target; and, these newer, mostly end-user devices (especially smartphones) are the least likely to carry any security software.

Dissecting malicious QR codes

A malicious QR (Quick Response) code contains a link to a website embedded with malware.

SOURCE: csoonline.com