Boosting Security with QR Codes Authentication

At a time when cybersecurity is of paramount importance across just about any industry, adopting secure authentication measures has become a top priority. From small-scale businesses to large enterprises, every organization is in dire need of implementing secure authentication processes. This has led to a rapid adoption of QR code-based authentication, which isn’t surprising given its several advantages. 

Using a QR code-based authentication method is not only convenient but also strengthens your organization’s security against potential threat actors. From preventing the risk of user logins compromising passwords due to phishing attacks to directly presenting hackers with much bigger hurdles, QR code authentication can go a long way in boosting security. 

How Does QR Code Authentication Work? 

While QR code authentication employs advanced security measures, it’s fairly simple and easy to understand from a layman’s point of view. Here’s how it works: 

• A website or application generates a unique QR code. 
• The user scans the code using a barcode reader. 
• Upon decoding the QR code, the decoded information is validated. 
• Once the validation is complete, the user is authenticated and gains access. 

QR code authentication is essentially based on the phone-as-a-token concept and deploys multi-factor authentication. The validation process is cryptographic, with all the information encrypted securely to protect against malicious activities. 

How QR Codes Boost Security?

Switching from traditional manual password entries to a QR code-based system would be a massive upgrade for your authentication system. Not only does it make it harder for hackers to gain access to your systems, but it even eliminates certain cyberattack techniques. 

1. No manual password entries 

Besides the obvious inconvenience of having to remember passwords, manual password-based authentication systems are fraught with security risks. Traditional passwords can be easily compromised, such as when a user falls victim to a phishing attack. Potential threat actors getting their hands on a user’s login credentials can easily get past the authentication system, especially in the absence of 2-factor authentication (2FA).   

QR code authentication removes this vulnerability by eliminating the need for manual password entries. With no fixed passwords that can be used to gain access, phishing attacks are largely rendered useless. Instead, the website or app generates unique QR codes that encapsulate one-time passwords (OTPs). 

2. Strong data encryption 

One of the biggest strengths of this authentication system regarding security is its end-to-end data encryption. The cryptographic validation system keeps all the data secure, from the moment the QR code is generated until the user is authenticated. While the strength of the encryption may vary, a good QR code generator can work wonders in keeping sensitive information safe from prying eyes. 

Additionally, a QR code scanner-based system can also be used to deploy multi-factor authentication, with additional security measures. For instance, you could include digital signatures and hash values within the QR codes. 

3. Unique QR codes 

OTPs have lately become integral to online security in recent times, and for good reasons. With a unique password generated for each authentication instance, it becomes much harder for threat actors to gain unauthorized access. 

QR codes aren’t necessarily any different either, with reliable QR code generators creating unique QR codes each time a user attempts to authenticate.  The ever-changing QR codes add to the hurdles for hackers, effectively defending against cyberattacks.  

Conclusion 

Looking at the several ways QR code authentication can help boost security, it only makes sense to implement it in your app or web portal. The fact that it is an affordable security upgrade makes switching to this authentication method particularly viable. All you need is a reliable QR code generator and a QR code scanner SDK that you can use to integrate the scanning function into your mobile or web application. Adopt QR code authentication to upgrade security across different levels, from end-users to employees.