You’ve seen it on the news and most certainly in the movies - baby monitors hacked by predators, laptop webcams secretly filming unsuspecting victims for blackmail, and home security cameras compromised by nefarious sources to spy on or invade people’s privacy.
Now that you’re sufficiently alarmed…let’s take a closer look at how this happens, and more importantly, how to prevent being the next target.
The Bad News: Any device connected to the internet can be hacked.
Below are the most common and easy ways to identify if your camera system or baby monitor has been hacked.
If you hear strange noises or voices - hackers are potentially spying on you and attempting to communicate with your children.
If you see abnormal movement and the camera rotates, follows your movement or you find it facing a different direction than usual - the pan-tilt function is likely hacked and movement is being controlled by an outside source.
Changes in security settings and spiked network usage - if you notice your username and password have been changed or if you notice an increase in data flow - hackers could have compromised your system and are attempting to access your system.
If you notice the LED light blinking or the LED light is illuminated but you didn’t activate that feature - chances are an outsider is turning your cameras or baby monitor on.
The Good News: You can prevent a hacker breaching your system and invading your privacy with these simple steps.
Select a reputable company - use established brands to purchase your cameras and be sure they include advanced encryption features. IP cameras are best with advanced security features enabled, including SSL/TLS encryption WPA2-AES encryption.
Use strong and unique password settings - never use the system provided default username & password and be sure to change passwords regularly.
Don’t access your system on public and unsecured networks.
Limit the number of devices - only use a few necessary personal devices (laptops, ipads, cell phones) to access your system and ensure they too are password protected.
Periodically check login history - ensure you recognize all login attempts to your camera system.
Secure your home network router - check that your WIFI network has a strong and unique password. Particularly if your camera system is wireless, ensure the WPA2 encryption feature is activated.
Install firewalls and antivirus software - firewalls can prevent your cameras from being hacked, and antivirus software can prevent viruses and malware that contain hacking software.
Give us a call and let FL Smart Homes help you with your security needs.