IT security and authentication platform company RaonSecure (Co-CEOs Lee Soon-hyung and Lee Jung-ah, KOSDAQ: 042510) has urged caution, predicting a rise in malicious app attacks during the Lunar New Year holiday. According to the company, its anti-phishing service “Smart Anti-Phishing” has detected a greater number of malicious app prevention cases this January compared to February of last year, which included the holiday period.
Analyzing data from January 1 to January 15, RaonSecure found that phishing attempts via malicious apps have increased by more than 2.5 times the daily average of February last year. As a result, the company forecasts a surge in attempts to install malicious apps during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday.
Phishing attacks using malicious apps often involve impersonating acquaintances, delivery services, wedding invitations, card issuances, or mobile billing notifications. Attackers send text messages or mobile messenger links to entice users to click on URLs, leading to the installation of malicious apps on their smartphones.
Of particular concern is “Qshing”, a growing social issue. Qshing, a combination of QR code and phishing, involves hackers generating malicious QR codes that, when scanned, lead to the installation of malicious apps. This enables the theft of personal and financial information, remote control of mobile devices, or unauthorized small payments.
RaonSecure’s Smart Anti-Phishing service detects and blocks phishing attempts, including smishing, malicious apps, and voice phishing, by collecting suspicious data from customers’ smartphones. The service integrates with financial institutions’ Fraud Detection Systems (FDS) to prevent phishing scams and uses AI to identify smishing messages.
It is also effective in combating Qshing-related crimes. If a user scans a malicious QR code and downloads a harmful app, Smart Anti-Phishing can detect and block the app within 2–3 seconds.
Park Jong-moon, Head of Service Business Division at RaonSecure, stated, “We strongly advise caution against acts that impersonate acquaintances, family, or delivery services to trick users into scanning QR codes or clicking URLs in text messages. Proactively utilizing anti-phishing services is crucial to prevent damage. RaonSecure will continue enhancing the technology behind Smart Anti-Phishing to contribute to the prevention of phishing crimes.”
Meanwhile, RaonSecure’s Smart Anti-Phishing is available as a value-added service through Korea’s three major mobile carriers and MVNOs, allowing users to easily subscribe and access its phishing prevention and blocking services.
