Advancing phishing dangers like QR code attacks pose substantial hazards to companies in different sectors, ranging from retail to healthcare, construction, and engineering. These contemporary assaults prompt organizations targeted by cyber offenders to embrace strong measures to protect sensitive data against breaches, leakage, unauthorized access, or illicit entry. These weaknesses could also be exploited for further attacks.
The Surge of QR Code Attacks
Email phishing remains the primary avenue for attacks on companies. A QR code phishing, or quishing, assault is a modern social engineering cyber stratagem that manipulates individuals into divulging personal and financial data or installing malicious software. It specifically targets top-tier executives and critical roles within an organization.
Quishing can evade conventional email security gateways, circumventing email filters and identity validation. This facilitates cyber assaults to transition from a secure email platform to the user’s less-secure mobile device, where cyber criminals can access confidential details like payment particulars for fraudulent activities. For instance, an insidious QR code concealed within a PDF file or an image (JPEG/PNG) attachment in an email can sidestep email security checks, like filtering and flagging. This results in the email being directly delivered to the recipient’s inbox without scrutiny for clickable content.
As per the Egress Report 2024, “phishing continues to be the top attack method with 94% of firms falling prey to advanced attack tactics that extend beyond emails to collaboration tools, and Cybersecurity heads confessed their concerns about email security.” These strategies include compromised supply chain email credentials and account takeovers (ATO). Studies also highlighted the influence of generative AI (GenAI) in empowering hackers to craft targeted phishing emails and generate malware. With GenAI, intricate threats like QR code phishing, credential phishing, AI-driven email threats, or business email compromise (BEC) assaults persist in evolving. This amplifies the likelihood of expanding the attack surface within email and collaboration platforms.
How can businesses mitigate the risk of QR code assaults?
Companies face the challenge of recognizing the threat and enhancing their security posture to prevent the financial burdens and repercussions of information leakage, damage to reputation, IT downtime, and technological interruptions.
To identify quishing, IT administrators and SOC teams require real-time protection features to avert malicious QR code attacks effectively.
Key pointers include:
- Unfamiliar sources: Exercise caution with QR codes originating from unexpected or unconfirmed origins such as stray pamphlets, unsolicited emails, or unfamiliar websites.
- Too good to be true: Validate QR codes offering perks, discounts, or gifts—they might be deceptive. Scammers frequently utilize attractive offers to entice victims.
- Complex web addresses: Scrutinize the URL linked in the QR code. A lengthy, convoluted, or random character-filled URL could lead to a phishing website.
- Spelling errors or peculiar characters: Look out for misspelled terms or peculiar characters within the QR code. Respected firms typically pay attention to details.
Personnel necessitate training to heighten their awareness in detecting quishing when encountering QR code-based emails or accessing embedded links.
Key indicators involve:
- Lack of context: Proceed with caution if the QR code lacks context or is out of place, like QR codes randomly scattered in public spaces.
- Website links: Refrain from visiting sites through QR codes that demand payments; instead, utilize a recognized and trusted URL for transactions.
- Cover-ups: Exercise vigilance if the QR code overlays existing notices or labels, as swindlers may try to mask legitimate information.
- Excessive requests: Be skeptical of QR codes asking for excessive permissions (e.g., camera, contacts, or location access) beyond necessity.
The escalating utilization of QR codes as a phishing avenue stresses the necessity for attentiveness and security consciousness when scanning them.
A Proactive Strategy Against QR Code Phishing (Quishing)
Trend Vision One™ – Email and Collaboration Security empowers you to promptly identify and counter user-targeted threats. It disrupts the QR code phishing assault chain, allowing you to streamline detections, risk analysis, and alleviation measures across your messaging infrastructure.
Equip your team with enhanced protection against malevolent QR codes using AI-driven advanced analytics and pre-delivery scanning engineered to intercept and neutralize phishing endeavors before they reach your mailbox.
Leverage real-time extraction of QR code links from emails, followed by exhaustive scanning and corrective measures across various file and image types (JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, .webP) to ensure security.
Upon detection of an email body and/or attachment containing a QR code, your IT admin can conveniently make informed decisions and implement corrective measures from a centralized platform.
Available actions include:
- Tag subject
- Add disclaimer
- Pass
- Quarantine
- Delete
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