Understanding the Rise of 'Quishing'
Bottom Line Up Front: Quishing (QR Code Phishing) is a social engineering attack that uses malicious QR codes to redirect victims to credential-harvesting sites or malware downloads. Because QR codes are images, they often bypass traditional text-based email filters, making them a significant blind spot for many security gateways.
How Quishing Attacks Work
1. The Lure
Attackers embed a QR code in an email (e.g., "Scan to enable 2FA") or physical sticker (e.g., parking meter).
2. The Bypass
The user scans the code with their phone. Since the traffic is on a mobile device (often off-network), it bypasses corporate firewalls.
3. The Compromise
The user is taken to a fake login page. Credentials entered here are stolen instantly.
Why Traditional Security Misses Quishing
Most Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) are designed to scan text and links within the body of an email. They struggle to parse images. A QR code is just a PNG or JPEG to a basic filter.
- Device Gap: The attack moves from the protected computer to the often unprotected mobile device.
- Obfuscation: The URL is encoded within the image, hiding it from URL scanners.
- Urgency: QR codes are often associated with time-sensitive tasks (mfa setup, payments), triggering cognitive bias.
Prevent Quishing with PhishFirewall
We don't just filter emails. We train your users to recognize the threat. Our AI Cyber Coach, Lora, simulates safe quishing attacks to innoculate your workforce.
