QR codes are close relatives of barcodes. Information is stored both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, a QR code can contain much more data. This makes them universal.
QR codes are designed to be scanned using a smartphone camera. The QR code can store a web link, image or text.
Additionally, QR codes are designed with data redundancy in mind. Even if up to 30% of the QR code is destroyed or difficult to read, data can still be recovered.
QR codes are not inherently dangerous. It’s just a way to store data. However, visiting URLs stored in QR codes can also be risky for various reasons.
The QR code URL may redirect you to a phishing website that will try to trick you into entering a username or password for another website. You can also follow a link to a website where you will be asked to leave your data for a purpose. And this data can then be easily used by an attacker.
Therefore, before opening the QR code link, it is important to make sure that the URL is safe and comes from a trusted source.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
