Kaspersky QR Scanner

Digital QR codes are widely applied in design, advertizing, media. It not only is convenient, but also is stylish as allows to cipher in a small square with the code any Internet address. He does not need to be taken manually, it is enough to bring to the code the mobile device with the camera as the code will be recognized, and the resource is open on the mobile device.

But than more widely this or that technology of information transfer, that high probability of the fact that it will draw attention to itself malefactors and cyber-criminals extends. Even more often specialists in information security field register the QR codes leading on the phishing and harmful sites. You should not forget that penetration of the malware on the mobile device can cost it to the owner not only the lost data and contacts, but also money as many use mobile banking and online payments from the smartphone or the tablet.

Developers of antivirus software it is aware of this problem. In particular, last year the application for protection against the harmful Norton Snap QR codes was released by Symantec company. Quite recently the similar product Kaspersky QR Scanner was provided at the beginning of 2015 also by Kaspersky Lab. It works on devices running iOS and Android.

As we were told by Andrey Chikov, the senior manager on products of Kaspersky Lab, harmful QR codes were for the first time recorded in 2011, but widely began to extend since 2013. "According to researches, the probability of a meeting with the harmful QR code increases with promotion "deep into" of a resource, i.e. on the homepage, similar codes meet seldom). On average, 95% of QR codes are at a depth of five transitions from the homepage of the website", - Andrey comments. Most often such codes come across on websites of the following thematic categories (in decreasing order): "free software", "online games", "for adults", "music" and others.

The operation algorithm of Kaspersky QR Scanner does not require loading of anti-virus bases as all work is carried out in a cloud environment. "The product analyzes only URL which is "sewn up" in the QR code and receives on it "verdict" from our cloud service – Kaspersky Security Network. On the party of a cloud service there is a number of checks, our protective and detecting technologies are used", - Andrey Chikov says.