That porch cam is looking at the door in front of you. Smart security camera that tracks speed through your living room at night. Cameras that see your children. Are you really sure that they are down their feed down and closing from the Internet? If you have not recently not checked the settings on your internet cameras, then it is time to do so.
Researcher on Bittest website trace This month a new report is published in which their latest discovery has been highlighted: 40,000 security cameras were exposed online and showing images from both homes and businesses. From offices and retail stores to factories as well as private residences, these cameras were showing online images without the need for any password or authentication.
Obviously, this is a very large privacy issue because these cameras are kept in all our houses, including bedrooms and children’s rooms. Hackers can not only spy the owners of these cameras, but can also set them for forcible recovery or use the information shining from their feed to plan a break.
Additionally, according to MalwarebytesThe actor with SSH access actor (allows them to log in through a terminal to the device and control it like one with a regular computer), can be found in a exposed camera hardware and software to exploit the weaknesses of any unpublished manufacturer. The camera can then compromise on other equipment on the victim’s home network or even as a botnet.
how does this work? Home security cameras typically require an internet or Wi-Fi connection, and these cameras often have their own web servers that users arrive on an app or web browser to see live video feeds. However, due to the way these feeds are exposed on the Internet, anyone can type them by typing them in their IP address.
Finding unsafe feeds is quite easy as many vendors do not install any kind of basic cyber security hygiene or firmware update process. Similarly, while some regulation has been installed, the enforcement has been inconsistent. Meanwhile, users think them as equipment and simply plug them and connect them without considering safety measures that must be taken first.
How big is this problem? According to the report, the number of cameras exposed in the US was about 14,000 California and the highest number of them with Texas. Other affected countries (in order) include Japan, Austria, Chetchia and South Korea.
This is also a problem that has happened earlier: Bitsight got a similar issue back in 2023 when streaming images online with more than 40,000 unsafe cameras.
How to protect and secure your cameras
First, as you should always do, you want to make sure that you are using strong and unique passwords for your cameras. However, you want to take time to configure them to the administrator or settings interface so that you can change their default password. At the same time, you want to patch and update your devices regularly (if possible) and if you can set them to update automatically.
Secondly, if you have an internet-connected camera, make sure you research on the brand that you are first considering whether it is a reported security issue in the past or any weaknesses, which you may have to be aware. Try to access it in an unsafe way, which is without using logs in credentials and know that if you can, all the rest can be there.
Additionally, be aware of where you keep your cameras. Think carefully before applying a camera to a sensitive place like bedroom or bathroom. Also, if your camera has a privacy shutter feature, use it!
The issue is never going to get away soon to add the best home security cameras to their homes for their safety with more people and to ensure that their package has not been stolen. This is why it is up to you that you first do carefully research on potential safety cameras and make sure that after you are installed in your house, you stop them completely.
