S.T.O.P. Launches “Think Quick, Don’t Click” QR Code Cybersecurity Campaign

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Launches “Think Quick, Don’t Click” QR Code Cybersecurity Campaign (New York, NY 10/28/21) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, launches its “Think Quick, Don’t Click” cybersecurity campaign, highlighting how QR codes on restaurant menus, posters, and flyers create a risk to the public’s phones and devices. In recent days, hundreds of New Yorkers have clicked links for fake restaurant menus and event advertisements across Manhattan, including fake comedy shows, trivia contests, and arcades. The campaign marks the end of October, which is the 18th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month. SEE: Fast Company - Beware of unknown QR codes--they could contain malware https://www.fastcompany.com/90690912/qr-codes-malware-problem  S.T.O.P. – “Think Quick, Don’t Click” Campaign Links https://www.privacy.menu/ https://www.nyccomedy.live/ https://www.privacytrivia.com/ https://www.privacyarcade.com/ S.T.O.P. Photos and Videos of “Think Quick, Don’t Click” Posters Around NYC https://web.tresorit.com/l/AGxtx#uj7O-y2T8b3M8vpoAiZJ3w  CISA - Cybersecurity Awareness Month https://www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month “Every code we click puts our digital lives at risk,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “QR codes have become commonplace, but they still pose a huge threat to cybersecurity. Every time we click a code, we create an opportunity for hackers to inject malware, capture our data, and sabotage our devices. When you see a code on a restaurant table or a poster, you never know who really put it there or where it will take you.” In recent days, QR Codes have seen growing pushback from privacy advocates. At the same time, leading restaurants have said that they would abandon their use of QR codes, noting that they led to lower sales than paper menus. SEE: The Washington Post - QR codes are a privacy problem — but not for the reasons you’ve heard https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/07/are-qr-codes-safe/ Nation’s Restaurant News - BJ’s reverting from QR codes back to physical menus, yielding higher checks https://www.nrn.com/casual-dining/bj-s-reverting-qr-codes-back-physical-menus-yielding-higher-checks Cahn continued: “In the early days of the pandemic, many thought that touch-free menus would keep people safe, but now we know that’s not true. The great QR code experiment has frankly failed. When we know that COVID-19 is primarily spread through the air, touch-free menus are just hygiene theater. But while these options fail to protect public health, they create a very real security threat.” The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. -- END -- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn     Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.