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Surge in QR Code Phishing: Navigating the 427% Increase in Quishing Attacks

In an alarming trend, the cybersecurity landscape is witnessing a dramatic rise in QR code phishing, also known as quishing, attacks. Perception Point has revealed a staggering 427% increase in such incidents in just one month, marking a significant shift in cybercriminals’ tactics. This post delves into the nuances of quishing, the implications of this surge, and effective strategies to safeguard against these sophisticated cyber threats.

Understanding Quishing: A Modern Cyber Threat

Quishing combines the convenience of QR codes with malicious intent, exploiting the widespread trust in this technology. By embedding harmful links in QR codes, attackers lure individuals into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware. The deception is magnified by the codes’ opacity, where the underlying URLs are not visible until scanned, making traditional email security measures less effective. 

The Rising Tide: A 427% Increase in Attacks

Between August and September 2023, Perception Point detected a shocking rise in quishing attempts, with malicious QR codes making up 9.5% of all QR code scanned, up from 1.8%. Quishing attacks also grew from 0.4% of all malicious incidents in August to 8.8% in September. This escalation not only underscores the evolving sophistication of cyber attackers but also highlights the urgent need for advanced detection and prevention methods.

Why Quishing Is Thriving

The success of quishing attacks can be attributed to several factors:

• Inherent Trust in QR Technology: The ubiquity and utility of QR codes in everyday transactions have made them a seemingly benign vector for cyberattacks.
• Challenges in Detection: Traditional security protocols struggle to preemptively identify and neutralize threats hidden within QR codes.
• Social Engineering Tactics: Coupled with urgent, persuasive messages, these QR codes effectively manipulate users into compromising their security.

Countermeasures: Stopping Quishing in Its Tracks

To combat the rise in quishing attacks, innovative security solutions are paramount. Perception Point’s approachexemplifies the kind of multi-layered defense strategy needed to address this threat:

• Real-time Image Recognition: Scans emails and attachments for QR codes, extracting and analyzing their embedded URLs.
• Anti-Evasion Techniques: Dynamically inspects the content within QR codes, thwarting attempts to disguise malicious payloads.
• Advanced AI Detection: Utilizes sophisticated algorithms for phishing detection, including brand spoofing recognition and lexical analysis of URLs.
• Robust Anti-Malware: Employs patented CPU-level technology to block exploits before malware can be executed.

The exponential rise in quishing attacks is a stark reminder for organizations to reevaluate their cybersecurity defenses. By understanding the mechanics behind these attacks and implementing comprehensive security measures, organizations can better protect themselves from the burgeoning threat posed by malicious QR codes. For a deeper dive into preventing quishing and enhancing your cybersecurity posture, explore our detailed guide or reach out to our team.

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CASE STUDY

Red Bull Augments Microsoft EOP to Prevent Advanced Attacks

Iconic International Food & Beverage Company Deploys Advanced Email Security After the Solution Proved to be a Cut Above the Rest.

Challenge

For many organizations, it is difficult to recognize the value of cybersecurity until it is too late. Red Bull did understand the importance and need of strengthening their security stack with best of breed solutions. After witnessing business-crippling cyber attacks of two neighboring enterprises, the project priority was quickly raised. 

Red Bull’s top concerns focused on malware, ransomware, account takeovers (ATO), business email compromise (BEC), and phishing attacks that were bypassing their existing email security offering – Microsoft EOP. For more than 18,000 email accounts, Red Bull was seeking a highly effective solution that would effortlessly scale without changing the MX record.

Solution

Red Bull conducted a thorough search for the ideal email security provider. They began with a list of 16 vendors, which they then whittled down to four following a comprehensive evaluation process. From there, they set out to assess the full capabilities of the remaining vendors by conducting a series of complex penetration tests. They built customized malware, sophisticated phishing campaigns involving images and QR codes, embedded links, and even impersonated their own brand. 

It was through these tests, using advanced attacks, that Red Bull was able to clearly experience the value of Perception Point’s advanced threat prevention platform in action which detected and intercepted attacks that the other solutions simply could not. Perception Point had the best performance, the fastest sandbox technology, and the highest level of accuracy amid the competition. 

Perception Point’s high detection accuracy for all threat types, its patented next-gen sandbox technology (HAP™) for APTs and zero-days, combined with its managed Incident Response service and platform agility lent a competitive edge that led the customer to select Perception Point as their email security provider. 

The solution was seamlessly deployed on top of Microsoft EOP. There was an instant and visible difference in detection between Microsoft EOP’s base layer of security and the addition of Perception Point’s solution. Since deploying Perception Point’s Advanced Email Security, the number of critical events detected by Red Bull’s EDR has decreased more than 65%.

Results

Over a three-month period, Perception Point dynamically scanned millions of files and URLs at an average of 20.4 seconds. Since then, the system has successfully blocked thousands of malicious attacks on top of Microsoft EOP. 

Summary

When given the opportunity to put our solution up to the test, Perception Point’s Advanced Email Security proved to be a cut above the rest. For Red Bull, what set Perception Point apart was how the platform couples advanced technology with human intelligence. Not only does Perception Point’s advanced threat detection platform constantly adapt to new threats as they emerge, but it also maintains a key human element to serve as an extra layer of mitigation. For Red Bull, this means there is always someone to talk to, which has deepened their trust in Perception Point’s ability and commitment to preventing all attack types, all the time. 

Red Bull is expanding Perception Point’s coverage to other channels, confident in Perception Point’s technology and trusted partnership.

Customer Quote

“The solution excelled in prevention capabilities (simultaneous pen-testing against other modern products) and the managed Incident Response, provided the support that boosted our SOC team’s capabilities to manage incidents and provide the best user experience for our employees. With the strongest results on the market, we decided to select Perception Point as our advanced email security provider. Rollout was smooth and well supported. Perception Point continues to work closely with our team, and we value Perception Point as our long-term partner in protecting our users, business and brand.”

-Global Infrastructure Security Architect at Red Bull

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LANDING PAGE

Flow Control Group’s Secret to Securing the Modern Workspace

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the modern workspace has become a complex and challenging environment to secure. In this webinar we will delve into pressing questions about Flow Control Group’s security challenges and how they are protecting their most attacked communication channels – email, Microsoft collaboration apps, and the browser. 

Join Jonathan Carr, Manager of IT, Security & Compliance, and Grant Walsh, Director of IT, Infra/Sec/Ops, at Flow Control Group in conversation with Daisy Spencer, Senior Account Executive at Perception Point, to discover how they are addressing emerging cyber challenges to protect their fast-growing organization. The panel will discuss multiple topics, including:

• Unique and challenging security threats that the modern workspace presents, and why are they so difficult to mitigate
• Solutions and strategies that can be implemented to offer to ensure a robust protection against modern workspace vulnerabilities
• The criteria and process for selecting a new security solution 

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into securing your modern workspace and learn how Flow Control Group is meeting these challenges head-on. 

Sign up now!

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