Abstract: A computer-implemented method of detecting a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) encoded in a barcode in an email includes receiving the email, and prior to delivering the received email, providing the received email to a barcode URL detection engine. The barcode URL detection engine may be configured to parse the received email, build a structured representation of the email, extract an image from the structured representation of the email, send the extracted image to a barcode scanner and receive a result back from the barcode scanner. When the received result indicates that the extracted image contains a barcode storing a HTTP or HTTPS URL, the barcode URL detection engine may determine whether the URL is suspicious. When the URL is determined to be suspicious, the barcode URL detection engine may perform one or more selected actions to protect the intended recipient of the received email from the suspicious URL.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of detecting a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) encoded in a barcode in an email includes receiving the email, and prior to delivering the received email, providing the received email to a barcode URL detection engine. The barcode URL detection engine may be configured to parse the received email, build a structured representation of the email, extract an image from the structured representation of the email, send the extracted image to a barcode scanner and receive a result back from the barcode scanner. When the received result indicates that the extracted image contains a barcode storing a HTTP or HTTPS URL, the barcode URL detection engine may determine whether the URL is suspicious. When the URL is determined to be suspicious, the barcode URL detection engine may perform one or more selected actions to protect the intended recipient of the received email from the suspicious URL.