Quishing is on the rise - start your year cyber safe

What is quishing?

Quishing is a form of phishing attack that uses QR codes instead of text-based links in emails. Quishing is a social engineering technique used by scammers and cybercriminals as a ploy to have users provide personal information or download malware onto your device.

The scheme takes advantage of the popularity and inherent trust in QR codes to help disguise their nefarious intent. When you scan the QR code with your smart device, it can link to malicious websites or prompt you to download files designed to monitor your online activities, steal your sensitive details or gain access to your device. Not all security tools can analyse QR codes as effectively as text-based URLs, and in most cases it is very hard for users to determine where they lead.

Further information on quishing has been released by the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

How can I prevent a quishing attack?

• Think before you scan a QR code and click the link.
• Manually navigate to online sites using a known and trusted URL.
• Avoid downloading apps and files using QR codes.
• Keep your devices updated with the latest version of software.
• Download security patches as soon as they are released.

Educate your family, friends and colleagues about the cyber security-related risks associated with using QR codes by sharing this post.