quishing

English

Etymology

Blend of QR code +‎ phishing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkwɪʃɪŋ/
• Rhymes: -ɪʃɪŋ

Noun

quishing (uncountable)

1. (computer security) Phishing by means of a QR code (to link to a malicious site, compromise a user account, etc.).

   Quishing allowed hackers to exfiltrate data from his bank accounts.

   • 2024 October 27, Stephanie Stacey, “Banks and regulators warn of rise in ‘quishing’ QR code scams”, in The Financial Times‎^[1]:

     The US Federal Trade Commission, as well as multiple local authorities across the UK, also warned this year about a specific kind of “quishing” scam targeting drivers, including cases where stickers directing users to fraudulent sites have been placed on top of legitimate QR codes used to pay for parking.

   • 2025 January 17, Dan Milmo, “Russian hackers target WhatsApp accounts of ministers worldwide”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     Microsoft said the WhatsApp campaign appeared to have been wound down in November but the shift in tactics by Star Blizzard underlined the unit’s tenacity in using spear phishing – the term for targeting specific individuals or groups with malicious emails – to try to access sensitive information. The increasingly popular practice of using QR codes by cybercriminals is called “quishing” among the cybersecurity community.