Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
Project: The Hunt for the EICAR QR Code Patch
The Hunt for the EICAR QR Code Patch is a personal exploration into the strange intersection of cybersecurity, curiosity, and wearable tech. This project documents the journey to either find or create a physical patch that displays a QR code encoding the EICAR test file — a harmless but antivirus-triggering string used worldwide to test malware defenses. Part research, part experiment, and part digital mischief, the goal is simple: own a piece of hacker-style gear that raises eyebrows, tests boundaries, and sparks conversations about security, perception, and code you can wear.
Goal
To track down — or create — a physical patch that displays a QR code containing the EICAR test file, blending cybersecurity curiosity with wearable hacker culture.
What I’m Looking For
People to:
- Help find or verify the existence of a high quality supplier
- Share QR designs that encode the EICAR test string
- Share information on high quality printing services
Why It Matters
This project offers a thought-provoking exploration of how digital threats can be represented in physical form. By examining the intersection of cybersecurity, symbolism, and wearable media, it invites reflection on issues of visibility, intent, and the cultural significance of code — particularly when the “threat” in question is a well-known, harmless test string used to evaluate antivirus software.
How You Can Help
- Try encoding the EICAR test string in a QR code or teach me how
- Contribute designs, patch printing ideas, or stories of similar experiments
- Let me know if you’ve seen one in the wild!
Updates
- [2025-07-12] Located a valuable resource for the EICAR QR code patch project
