Whether people notice it or not, the biggest digital footprint they leave is data. In 2020 alone, a total of 44 zettabytes of online data has been collected.
Since data is considered the new oil of this generation, one question remains: how can users protect their personal or business data online?
Is having a browser firewall enough to protect you from malicious data tampering like phishing? What about when you use QR codes to share and collect data?
How can you safeguard your data when you use QR codes to share information?
More importantly, how can you guarantee that you are using a safe and secured QR code generator?
This article will show you how you can protect your generated QR code and its embedded data.
But before that, you must first know the types of threats you can possibly encounter.
Common cyber threats online
Norton revealed that over 2,200 cyber-attacks happened in the US per day in 2021. That’s one cyberattacks in 39 seconds.
As a QR code user, this should serve as a warning to further protect the data you send and receive.
Malware
Any program inserted into a system that compromises the confidentiality, security, or data availability is called a malware. Malware, short for “malicious software”, is one of the biggest cyber threats. In fact, it has compromised billions of users’ sensitive data worldwide.
These are usually disguised as emails or promotional SMS with fake links on them. Upon clicking the link, it automatically downloads a malware or ransomware that can compromise your device, and even your network.
Ransomware
If a malware is successfully installed and it penetrates the system, a ransomware is encrypted to the affected user or business system. This kind of cyber threat requires a user to make payments online to retrieve files or data that the cyber attacker has taken ahold of.
Distributed denial of service attacks
A distributed denial of service attack happens when you open an unresponsive website that takes too long to load. Hackers attack as you try to enter the pages, thus limiting the access during the attack.
This cyber-attack is orchestrated by cybercriminals using an extensive network of infected computers called Botnets, which plant malware on their target website.
Spam and phishing
Are you constantly receiving unwanted texts and emails from users you do not know or aren’t subscribed to? This cyber threat is called spam and phishing. Those who have scanned a QR code for contact tracing are usually at a high risk of spam and phishing.
How to protect your QR code data
QR codes advanced data sharing, and the threats that it poses for today’s users revolve around this technology too. They can prevent this from happening by following these data protection measures.
Create a QR code using a safe QR code generator online
Creating a QR code using a secure free QR code generator with logo online can help you prevent getting your data compromised.
Check if the QR code software has the relevant security certificates, such as ISO 27001.
Check and verify the QR code landing page
Suppose you scanned a questionable QR code. In that case, you can always check if its landing page is safe. See if it has an active SSL certification, if it passes a website health check, and has a spam score of less than 11 percent.
Add a second layer of data protection
To prevent data snoopers from scanning and obtaining the data you store in your QR code, you can add a second layer of data protection by using a password-protected QR code.
You can add a password to your QR code and only share the password with the users you intend to share it with.
Conclusion:
QR codes have become the most accessible tool as a contactless way of sharing and gathering data. And with its popularity, it’s no question that the cyber threats surrounding the technology has also increased.
Users can avoid these data harvesting issues by staying ahead of these possible threats and adding an extra layer of protection to their QR codes. These preventive measures are the key to having a safe data exchange activity online.