Should I cover the camera on my laptop / tablet?
Do you really need to cover your webcam?
People scan the internet with the intent of voyeurism or extortion. If you are a high value target, you are more at risk. Is childs webcam covered? Also consider your baby cam, is that secure?
For security reasons, we recommend people cover their laptop and tablet cameras, especially on your children’s devices, and teach them why it is necessary.
In the corporate sector, if there is sensitive data at stake, we recommend the covering of webcams and microphones. And if you are using the webcams and microphones, make sure a strict security regime is being adhered to. Your Business IT support will be providing this already. I will detail what security should be in place so you know your device and data is protected.
There is a lot of hype around this issue, after there was a photo of Mark Zuckerberg published where he had his own webcam covered with tape. He is a high value target after all, and has had two social media accounts hacked in the past.
Stephen T Cobb is a senior researcher at ESET security. MadTECH Computers (my Company) is an ESET reseller, and stands by their product. Therefore, I listen when Stephen Cobb has something to say, and he says even people who are not CEO’s have reason to be concerned with data security.
Ms. Meyers, also of ESET recommends young woman especially should be aware of their device security and to make sure their webcams are not being accessed illegally.
Other devices are also at risk. Is your home network secure? What about your baby cam, or your home cameras?
Hackers can access your live streams of your home cameras, watch them, then blackmail you with the images from the video streams.
The most common way people hack your webcams is with click-jacking. This means they create an ad or an offer that is too good to be true. You click a button or a link in the ad , and there is an invisible script located on that ad that you have just clicked. This then activates the webcam. Then there is another script that disables the light so you are unaware they webcam is turned on.:
The best way to make devices like baby monitors secure is to do the following:
Buy a digital monitor, and change the default password. Don’t use an analogue model that operates over open radio frequencies.
Configure and turn on the firewall between your Internet connection and the devices on your network. There should be a firewall on you router. If you don’t know how to do the above steps, hire a professional to do it for you.
Secure your wireless network at home. Make sure you are using WPA2+ encryption and SSID masking to do this.
Turn devices off if you are not using them. It is easier for cyber-criminals to hack your network if devices are left on 24-7.
Reference:
http://thescienceexplorer.com/technology/you-should-cover-your-laptop-camera-tape-tech-experts-warn
http://www.sileo.com/baby-cam-hacked-what-you-can-do-to-protect-yourself-and-your-children/