Whilst eating breakfast this morning I had the TV on in the background when on came some interesting news about hackers accessing webcams and CCTV cameras to spy on adults and/or children without anyone knowing.
With the work we’re currently undertaking around cyber security I thought it would be useful to share the 1 thing you NEED to be doing if you have any CCTV/Web cameras in your home or at your workplace.
If you’ve got 5 minutes to watch it then click through to this link to watch the video but in short the overriding message is:
Change the default password for the webcam or CCTV system Now!
In the cases we come across, systems are installed with default passwords as self installs or by CCTV installers that aren’t IT security experts and are left that way to simplify access. If you’re able to access your camera(s) via your phone or from your computer when you’re away from home or the office then you MUST use a secure password.
Here’s an example of a password that would be considered secure (and that you have a chance of remembering): Weliketoeattoothpast3onclouds!
If you’re unsure about your system security then I’d recommend you either Google your webcam make/model to see instructions on how to reset the password or if you have a full CCTV system then speak to the team who installed it for you.
In some cases the very camera’s that you access to genuinely monitor security at your home or work could be used for spying or harassing.
While we’re on the topic of webcams if you have a builtin webcam on your laptop then I’ve got a handful webcam covers in my office and I’m happy to send one out to you. Just visit our contact page and let me know you want one and I’ll get one in the post to you.
Regards
Lee
PS. – If you’re worried about any of the above and want some advice on how secure your systems are then please get in touch.