Over the years, QR codes have become an increasingly common way for businesses of all shapes and sizes to keep track of inventory. From restaurant menus to medical offices, QR codes are easy to scan and instantly offer busy employees tons of data at their fingertips. That said, just like any other technology, QR codes can come with security risks. Fortunately, you can take several simple steps to ensure your QR codes are safe.
This article will explore QR code security, discussing QR code security risks and QR code security best practices for keeping your business safe and secure.
Are QR codes secure?
QR codes are not inherently dangerous. After all, they’re just a more complicated and data-rich version of a barcode that can be scanned from any direction. The actual risks associated with QR codes stem not from the code itself but from where the code may guide the scanner.
In other words, when there is reason for concern regarding a QR code, it’s almost always because scanning the code can direct you to a website that is malicious or contains content that is not safe. Simply, scanning a QR code you don’t trust is the same as clicking on a URL you don’t trust.
This means that, in most workplace settings, employees should be able to scan QR codes with a high degree of trust. Still, the best practices shared further down in this article can protect companies from additional risk.
This easy, comprehensive guide will help you:
Free Ebook: The Complete Guide to Barcoding Your Inventory
How to ensure QR codes are safe and secure
One of the best ways to ensure QR codes are as safe and secure as possible within your business is to create them directly within your trusted inventory management software. By doing this, your company can rest assured that all codes have been generated internally and lead to data that’s been verified and entered by trusted employees.
Best practices for QR code security
First and foremost, the best way to ensure QR code security within your business is to work alongside a trusted information technology partner. This is chiefly because every business is different, and your security needs will vary based on how your business operates, what type of information you store on your devices, and how you and your vendors exchange inventory and inventory-related data.
Alongside your IT department or consultant, the following best practices should also be considered:
- Always verify the source. Before scanning a QR code you do not know, check the URL it leads to. If the QR code is suspicious in and of itself, do not scan it at all and contact the vendor who provided it to you.
- Understand current risks. Like most data risks, the biggest threat to your business’s data is likely one you do not know about yet. While internal QR codes are very safe, turn to your IT department or consultant to keep you abreast of any new threats that may arise.
- Create your own QR codes. Once again, the fastest and most proven way to ensure your QR codes pose virtually no risk to your business is to generate them yourself. Some inventory software, including Sortly, allows customers to generate their own barcodes and QR codes within the software and then print custom labels.
About Sortly
Sortly is an inventory management solution that helps you track, manage, and organize your inventory from any device, in any location. We’re an easy-to-use inventory software that’s perfect for large or small companies. Sortly builds inventory tracking seamlessly into your workday so you can save time and money, satisfy your customers, and help your projects succeed.
With Sortly, you can track inventory, supplies, parts, tools, assets, and anything else that matters to your business. It comes equipped with smart features like barcoding & QR coding, low stock alerts, customizable folders, data-rich reporting, and much more. Best of all, you can update inventory right from your smartphone, whether you’re on the job, in the warehouse, or on the go.
Whether you’re just getting started with inventory management or you’re an expert looking for a more efficient solution, we can transform how your company manages inventory—so you can focus on your next build. That’s why over 15,000 businesses globally trust us as their inventory management solution.
Start your two-week free trial of Sortly today.
