Security nerds, like me, often advise you to tape up your webcam when you’re not using it. However, many people think this is too paranoid. “Who’s going to spy on my computer,” they ask? Watch today’s video to hear why many experts, including Facebook’s founder, think we all should protect our video privacy… and stick around to the end of the video to learn how to get a free webcam cover.
(Episode Runtime: 3:14
Direct YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3LH2QuFACQ
EPISODE REFERENCES:
- Zuckerberg tapes his webcam for security – Techspot
- FBI Director tapes his webcam – NPR
- Sextortion prompts webcam tape – Dark Reading
— Corey Nachreiner, CISSP (@SecAdept)
Wilderness says
I think it’s (long past) time to make webcams with the light that are both powered by the same power, so it’ll be physically impossible to activate the camera without also activating the light.
Corey Nachreiner says
Hurrah… I think that is a smart idea!
Kurt says
You’ll need to remove the tape every time you want to log in with Windows Hello…
Corey Nachreiner says
heh! You’re exactly right, which is why you should retweet to get a webcam cover. While I don’t use Hello, I do use my own webcam fairly regularly for traveling videos and skype/facetime, etc… its nice to have the little door I can open and close. 😉
Arun Chakravarty says
With the help of webcams it is now possible to monitor what is happening
at home for greater peace of mind. Surveillance systems for airports, casinos
and banks have simplified and also become affordable to be used for home
surveillance. Taping of webcams was interesting.
Kurt says
Personally, I worry about the camera’s on smart TV’s and baby monitors as those manufacturers are careless when it comes to security updates.
Corey Nachreiner says
Now this is a seriously true, and scary comment. While I personally haven’t seen real-world (only research) malware target the camera’s on IoT device yet, you know it’s only a small matter of time. Then you have the facial recognition.
My Xbox One is regularly on at my home since it’s connected to our cable system for, so my kids always have it one. When ever I walk into the living room and hear the little Xbox sound, and it says Welcome Corey, it’s a creepy reminder that not only do we have cameras in weird systems watching us, but they can recognize who we are….
Steve Spence says
I think that advice is not paranoid but idiotic. If someone has access to your computer hardware is that the worse thing he or she can do? Looking at pictures of you is hardly useful, they are infinitely more useful things on your computer than you eating a burger.
Corey Nachreiner says
Quite a strong way to share your feedback, which I do appreciate nonetheless. I think if you’ve followed this blog and our videos, you know we share plenty advice to try to keep malware off your system period. And I absolutely agree that that should be job #1. However, it’s quite apparent that malware still finds a way on peoples computers. So I do think have a webcam privacy guard is a useful layer to protect yourself. While I think most money motivated criminals are more interesting in data on your computer, many cases have proven that there are criminal that want to creep on your web cam.
In any case, I believe in multiple layers of security because one or more layers can sometimes fail. Do all you can to prevent malware (Patch, use AV or advanced threat protection, have IPS to catch exploits that eventually push malware, train your users), but it doesn’t hurt to prepare for the breach either.