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User Security
Cyber Fraud Online Safety Phishing scam QR Codes Quishing User Security

Beware of "Quishing": Fraudsters Steal Data Using QR Codes

 

The vulnerability of protected health data may be increased by the usage of QR codes, which are intended to speed up processes like picture file transfers but actually expose organisations' weak points in mobile device security.

A fake QR code that links people to a website that seems identical to the real thing might be substituted by cunning cybercriminals in order to intercept user data and patients' personal information. In a practice called "quishing," they can even incorporate fake QR codes inside emails that appear to be from trusted sources. 

QR code scam 

With a projected increase of more than seven times in 2022, "scan scams" are now virtually regular occurrences.

Patient data breaches, malware infestations, and identity theft are all risks posed by QR code phishing in particular to healthcare organisations and patients. Cybercriminals deceive clients or staff into scanning a QR code that takes them to a website that seems authentic and asks for personal information or log-in credentials. 

To access patient portals, provider networks, and other digital services, hackers steal sensitive data, including medical histories, insurance details, social security numbers, and other personal identity data. 

Patient data is an extremely alluring target since it has a market on the dark web. In fact, depending on the level of data, a single patient record can fetch up to $1,000 on the underground market. That sum of money is over 50 times greater than what is typically recorded on credit cards. 

Role of organisations 

Organisations can increase provider, carer, and patient communication and openness with the aid of QR codes. Employing a QR code generator with integrated capabilities like single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, custom domain, and user management can help healthcare organisations safeguard this technology. 

The second crucial component is a platform for QR codes with incident management tools and security measures that are subject to recurring in-depth examinations. But education also contributes to preventing QR code fraud.

Healthcare organisations must educate their staff members and patients on how to use QR codes safely, including how to spot and stay away from malware, phishing scams, and other security risks. 

Mitigation tips 

Patients should be encouraged to check the legitimacy of the QR codes they scan before providing personal information. There are also security and privacy problems because a lot of individuals open a link right away after scanning a QR code without even checking it. To determine whether a destination is reliable, patients should check the website or app URL linked to the QR code or use a reliable QR code scanner app. 

Additionally, patients must only scan QR codes from reputable websites and applications, such as the printed materials, website, or app of their healthcare practitioner. Patients shouldn't scan a QR code if it seems sketchy or is from an unknown source. 

Finally, patients should exercise caution when sharing sensitive information via a QR code, such as their medical history or insurance details. They should only provide this information to reputable healthcare practitioners who can vouch for its secure and encrypted transmission.
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QR Codes
Credential Phishing Cybersecurity Login Credentials malware Microsoft 365 QR Codes

Threat Actors Use QR Codes to Steal Login Credentials

 

Hackers are distributing phishing mails having QR codes in a cyberattack campaign built to extract login details of Microsoft 365 cloud apps. Passwords and usernames for cloud services of entreprises have become a main target for hackers, exploiting these to launch ransomware and malware attacks, or by selling stolen login details to other threat actors, who exploit it for their own campaigns. 

Threat Actors are finding sneaky opportunities to scam victims into opening malicious links that lead to phishing websites built to look like genuine Microsoft login webpages, and smartly selling the login credentials. 

Cybersecurity experts at Abnormal Security analyzed a recent campaign, the researchers sent various phishing mails which tried to use QR codes built to evade mail protections and steal login details. QR codes are useful when it comes to attempts malicious tasks, as standard mail security regulations like URL scanners don't detect any hint of suspected links or attachments in the email. 

The campaign is operated via email accounts hacked earlier, which allows hackers to send mails from authentic user accounts of companies to give a look of authenticity to these mails, and users believe it to be legitimate. As of now, experts are yet to confirm how threat actors are able to get control of these accounts used for sending phishing mails. 

As per experts, these phishing mails contain a voicemail message from the email account admin sending the mail, the target is requested to scan a QR code for listening to the voice mail. The QR codes sent to the victims were also created the same day. An earlier variant of the campaign tried to scam users into opening a malicious link by hiding it in an audio file. 

But, antivirus softwares were able to find and identify the malicious files, which made threat actors turning to QR codes. "While using the QR codes method can more easily bypass email protections, the victim needs to follow many more steps before they reach the point where they could mistakenly give their login credentials to cyber criminals. Applying multi-factor authentication to Microsoft 365 accounts can also help protect login details from being stolen," ZDNet reports.
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