QR codes are popping up everywhere these days. On buses, magazine ads, billboards—I’ve even seen them drawn in chalk on the sidewalk. Maybe you’ve noticed? QR codes are catching the eyes of businesses for marketing, but the more popular something is the more appealing it is to cybercriminals.
A recent incident was reported in Russia. A hijacked QR code took unsuspecting Android users to download an app named Jimm. Jimm didn’t download but malware sure did! The code sent off a bunch of SMS messages to a premium number (a SMS version of a 1- 900). Hackers profit, you get billed—at $6 a message!
QR code scanning increased by 4,549% in the US—just in the first quarter of 2011! It’s no wonder cybercriminals have taken notice. Aside from their fame, QR codes are perfect for hackers since you can’t see where the code will take you until it’s scanned.
The same thing happened when URL shortening services like Bitly appeared. Long and complex URLs get made all short and sweet. They look great, fit well on Twitter but they give no indication of their destination. It could be to a malicious site or could download a virus. You only find out once you click. Oops.
Mobile malware is on the rise, with Google’s Android phones getting hit hard so far. All smartphones can do almost anything for us, but Android does one more thing—it can be your wallet too. All the more reason to be on guard!
You can definitely expect to see more of these scams happening in the future. Who’s to stop someone from pasting their own QR code overtop one of the many signs you see outside? It gives you a whole other reason to think before you take a pic!
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Ryan Majeau
Ryan loves technology, reading and writing about new trends or playing with new gadgets—and yes he uses three monitors. Ryan is guilty of drinking the kool-aid every now and then, is a bit of a Facebook junkie and a devout Apple fanboy (in case you couldn’t tell).
RIM has strange culture and self distruct political environment.
In RIM if a new hired person figure out major problem and introduce efficient approach, both manager and his buddy group member will proof their wrong approach works. just like someone point out driving a car is right way, pushing a car is wrong way, then both manager and his buddy group member will hate you, and proof that 3 person can also move the car by pushing it. cheating email will be sent to some vice president, saying like: see, the car moving, pushing a car is a natural part of the process, in order to deny new hired contribution of introducing skill of drive a car, they have to deny merit of driving a car.
It is very strange company culture and strange company political environment, it promote stealing and cheating skill. RIM’s management may be a typical instance in MBA course.
This culture deny or steal hardworking team members’ contribution/innovation, generate strange political environment, destroy RIM.
solve the problem it will survive
I Agree, RIM must get into other markets, that include other OS, they should open and sell its Blackberry Messenger service to other platforms, they should give access to its BIS service through other phones (obviusly for a price).
They even should consider using good hardware on their phones to allow virtual ANDROID processing, letting people use android apps on their BB Smartphones, attracting more user into ther platform.
Now refering to its hardware, they should stick to the classic candy bar qwerty keyboard form factor, its so far the most successfull desing, and also for a lots of users touch sensitive only devices, are confusing, Remember that the primary use for ANY mobile phones its as “A PHONE”, and since EVER phones had keys or anything fisical that gives you a feedback response of its function, i.E. Speed Dialing without looking into the phone on ANY touch screen only cellphone is NON-EXISTENCE, you must turn your attention into the phone and look what you’re pressing. for qwerty keyboards model you have at the palm of your hand 26 SHORTCUTS for making any call or function, with ONE HAND and Without looking into your phone.
I bet if apple consider this and comes up with a torch like or qwerty fisical model you can assure a BYE BYE TO RIM.
Most of old school SMARTPHONES users (specially the ones that started with Palm TREO’s and Nokias) are very used to keyboards, for e-mailing, texting and so on.