–
It is becoming increasingly difficult to buy or sell if it is not through QR codes, a technology that is not new, but that is growing with greater intensity in Mexico.
Current sanitary measures have promoted the rejection of physical menus, coins and bills, because it is argued that they could increase the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
In Mexico City, for example, QR codes have been incorporated into restaurants in a way never seen before.
About, Jonathan Zamacona, marketing course director en Platzi, online education platform, and the first of the three experts interviewed by Tec Review, comment the following:
“In these establishments to enter you have to scan a QR code and then a table is assigned. When you sit down, you have to scan another QR code to view the digital menu and, finally, there is another QR code to pay ”.
Digital wolves dressed as sheep
These codes can also be in advertisements, brochures or websites, which can lead to theft of personal data.
“This has not been detected in Mexico, but cases have been reported in Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. There can be malicious QR codes cloned by cybercriminals anywhere, ”says this manager.
One case could be that of an alleged company that, through advertisements posted on the walls of the street, publicizes vacancies with a good salary for a customer service position. People are interested and scan the printed code that leads to a page in which, finally, the cyberattack occurs in disguise.
“If users do not want to be victims of a digital attack, they have to look very carefully when the preview of the QR code is displayed: the information that appears and mainly the URL. If it doesn’t start with https (security nomenclature), they shouldn’t click; if they do, they expose themselves to data theft ”, explains Zamacona.
He talks that, using QR codes, cybercriminals use apocryphal addresses such as www.whatsappweb.com, when www.whatsapp.web is the correct url. Then, without realizing the deception, users enter a page that looks like WhatsApp and unfortunately become victims of hackers.
“It is very important that as users of mobile devices we are aware of what type of pages we are allowing them to access our information,” he advises.
The vision of a QR code booster
The second expert consulted is Ramiro Nández, senior manager of QR in Payment Market, a digital tool for buying and selling, who agrees with Zamacona in the sense that it is essential to make sure not to scan QR codes that are not correctly identified, either to enter establishments, read menus or consult something on the street.
“The risk there is that the fraudulent codes lead to another page where personal data can be requested. It is convenient to activate the preview of the leagues or even download a program that evaluates the leagues before opening them ”, he says.
Nández points out that it is advisable to have strong passwords and activate notifications on the phones, in addition to that in the Mercado Pago app you can consult all the reliable establishments that accept payments with QR.
Towards a humanized technology
Mauricio Garcia, director of design technology at frog, a digital solutions development firm, completes this shortlist of specialists. He comments that QR codes are not a panacea, but a means – with associated risks – to streamline interactions on the network.
“It is just a mechanism for transmitting information, and it is the applications that use it and the care with which consumers and merchants use it, which can make its use safe,” he says.
A QR code, García confirms, can perfectly be a link to download malware or access a phishing site, but to the extent that care is taken, the risk of information theft or fraud can be minimized.
To know what precautions are necessary when using QR codes, García, who is also a graduate of the Master of Computer Science, from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Estado de México, recommends keeping the following questions in mind:
Do I know the origin of the QR code that I am going to read and do I trust it? Can I verify its authenticity? Is the application that I am going to use from a reliable provider? Can I verify its authenticity? Am I only disclosing the information necessary to complete the transaction while keeping my personal data private? Is the amount of the payment that I am going to make correct?
On the other hand, this EXATEC says that entrepreneurs and application designers must take into account the needs of customers to humanize payment systems.
“By using this technology, users must feel confident that they are well informed to make secure transactions and can concentrate on savoring their food, relaxing on the trip or thinking about the person they are buying a gift from,” he concludes.
Before entering CoDi, learn how to use it safely
– .
