Webcam hacks aren’t new, but they are still super creepy, and particularly so when children are involved. A mother in Houston recently set up a webcam in her daughter’s room as a safety measure, but instead learned the camera had been hacked and was broadcasting to the internet. While we don’t know with full certainty, it appears that one of the children in the family may have visited a malicious server that resulted in hackers gaining access to the webcam.
Following are some tips for protecting your webcam from being hacked:
- If your webcam has an administrative WebUI, be sure to configure it with a strong password. Default credentials are a common way for attackers to obtain access to IoT devices.
- Be mindful of what websites you visit and what you download from the internet. Attackers love to seed Google results with “how to” guides for popular games and applications where one of the steps is to download an application. That application usually ends up being some form of malware.
- For laptops, a webcam cover is hard for attackers to circumvent. They may still be able to hear you if they’ve gained control of the microphone but they at least won’t be able to see you through a peace of opaque plastic.
- Be mindful of your webcam placement. Do you really need a webcam in a private bedroom? Would the same protection be provided with one in the hallway and one covering the perimeter of your house?
(Image: ABC 13 Houston)
(h/t Mashable)