Webcam Hacking

As a general practice, I keep a post-it note over my webcam when it is not in use. If someone were to manage to hack into my computer and turn on the webcam, I would want this extra protection.

Today, someone saw asked me why the post-it note was there and when I told him, he called me paranoid. Ironically, a few hours later, I happened to see this article online:

http://todaynews.today.com/_news/2013/01/24/16641666-rossen-reports-webcam-hackers-can-spy-on-you-in-secret?lite

• It took about 3 minutes for a computer expert to hack someone's web cam


• He did it using what looked like an e-card, but was really a virus

 

How to Protect Yourself:

 

1. Keep laptop closed if not in use and/or put piece of tape over webcam.

2. Don't open links from people you don't know.

 

From the perspective of a vulnerability appraisal or risk analysis, putting a post-it note over the webcam when it is not in use costs around 1 cent, so even if the threat wasn't realistic, why not do it anyway? 

 

There was a case of a man, Luis Mijangoes, who spied on over 200 women and blackmailed some of them. He is now serving 6 years in prison.

I did a quick search in my RSS feed to see what other information and articles are up about webcam hacking and I found this article from Network World:

http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/study-finds-1-2-americans-are-clueless-about-webcam-hacking?source=nww_rss

This article from May 2012 talked about a study that found 51% of Americans didn't even know it was possible to remotely access someone's webcam. AHHH! Well, if you didn't know before this, now you know!