A QR Code Attack

The Attack

A flyer is posted, it says, “scan this QR code, and a really great thing will happen to you!”

The code is scanned > which tells your phone to open a browser > and go to a URL, Whatever.com > where there is a virus / malware / etc >  ready to be installed onto your phone.

The Defence

In the settings of the scanning app, choose to allow / deny an action, before it executes.

In the above scenario, the URL might have looked off, and you decided not to click it, not to visit the webpage.

A Better Defence

Just don’t scan any, ever.

Stay sharp out there.

 

 

Hosting Canada’s Largest Undergrad Tech Conference

This weekend was the 12th Annual CUTC.ca, and Casie and I hosted the event at University of Toronto.

These kids were great; all on their own volition they organized, travelled and paid their way. Pretty sure this group is indeed our future.

Introducing your hosts!

And THAT is my very own personal QR Code boom boom.

They made it for me and put it on the back of my badge, I always wanted one.  I’ve been preoccupied with QR codes since ’08, because I blogged about them over at Canadian Explorer then, ahhh the benefit of having a blog.

If you scan it it’ll kick your phone right over to here, my blog.

Non-nerds: QR Codes (quick response) are elaborate bar codes that hold a ridiculous amount of information, like a small book. They’ve been in wide use in Europe and especially Japan, and are finally making their way here. Here’s the Wiki page.

During lunch we found a video game area and settled into play our respecitve favourite games: Casie dancing, me Call of Duty.

I should really get and start using a proper camera huh.

Like Casie’s Olympus, which captured this moment of me finally meeting Adam and  Adil (below) of MyCityLives.com

They’re doing awesome things combining online video and maps,  you gotta check out their site – “you discover and share videos around your location on culture, art and entertainment”.

What’s this park like?  Now I’m watching a video educating me, this is good… like that.

From May 2011

Thanks for having us, CUTC.ca, and congratulations everyone on a successful conference!