This week we will be talking about QR codes.
Why do we need to talk about these, they are harmless, right? Wrong!! These little codes can lead to different places or even download malicious code to your devices. You should never scan an unknown QR code, if you see one out in the wild on a bulletin board or on a phone pole, never scan it. If someone you don't know starts to talk to you and then says oh do you want my contact info, then tries to get you to scan a QR code, DON'T.
So how does the QR code work then, let me break down the step. First off, QR stands for Quick Response code, it was developed back in 1994 by a Japanese developer. Smartphone camera software usually has some lines of code in it to be able to scan QR codes. QR codes have multiple parts, but three are the most important, and you will see them on most if not all QR codes. The three parts are the Data module, the Position marker, and the Quiet Zone. The data module is the black and white area inside QR codes that are scanned, this is the part that will then tell the software where to go once scanned. The position maker is the three-square boxes you see on all QR codes, they are used to tell the camera what position the QR code is in, so it can be scanned properly. The last is the quiet zone, which is the white area around the entire QR code. That blank area is used to let the camera know where the QR code starts and ends. Now we know the parts of the QR code, it makes it a little simpler how they are scanned. To put it in its basic terms, they are fancy barcodes, plain and simple.
QR codes can do a number of things, both good and bad. I tend to err on the side of caution and not scan QR codes, all it takes is for someone to replace that good QR code with one that downloads malware or goes to a malicious site. I hope this has informed you of the dangers we face from QR codes. If you have any questions, please email me or call. Thank you and have a great week.
go ahead scan it you know you want too 😈
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