Now is the time to cover your webcams more than ever

The global pandemic has made some draconian changes in our daily routines. The development in telecommunication, renewable energies and technology have made us connect with the world even if we are isolated within our homes. Thanks to the virtual conferencing applications, that have made communicating across countries just a click away. Although, we are glad about working from home, there are some immense threats that could arise due to this work culture. Our devices are less secured, out of the corporate firewall and security network that allows cyber criminals to have an edge over devices and especially the webcams.

It could be Zoom, Whatsapp, Skype or Microsoft Teams, the webcams in smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops could be hacked without the users’ knowledge. Cyber criminals can employ camfecting attacks to breach into webcams and capture sensitive images.

Camfecting is the process of secretly hacking into the webcams without users’ knowledge, and turning off the webcam lights to keep the hack undetected. It’s because of this sneaky move, most users do not realize they were a victim of Camfecting attack. According to a report from MalwareBytes, hackers can easily access around 15,000 web cameras without even hacking into them.

Webcam security learning from celebrities

If Camfecting could be this dangerous to a normal person, imagine how risky this would be for celebrities. We have read reports of celebrities intimate pictures being leaked in the web, and Camfecting could have been the manoeuvre that hackers had employed for it. And that’s exactly why Mark Zuckerberg covers his webcam and microphone.

Although, a normal person’s devices aren’t a hot spot for hackers, the captured information is some form of data that could deliver monetary benefits for the hackers. While there is a genuine hack on one side, certain actors do send spam mails claiming they have hacked into your webcam, and do posses sensitive images and videos of the victim. However, users need to understand, this is just a lame attempt to make money by blackmailing the user, without even breaching into the device.

How hackers can splinter into webcams?

Hackers employ two unique methods to break into webcams. They are,

• Remote Administration Tool (RAT)
• Remote Tech Support

A Trojan Virus is a wonderful example of RAT. This malware will be deployed by email, and when a user downloads/installs it accidentally, then the hackers will gain access to that device. Once they are inside the system, they will be able to access the photos, videos, documents, and also the webcams. RAT has been there in the cyber market for a long time, and actually it is available for commercial purposes in the dark web for $40 USD. Moreover, with youtube any rookie can deploy this malware into the targeted devices deftly.

Unlimited access to webcams

Smart homes have become a very integral part of our society, an average household in Australia does own 17 connected devices. Devices include 2 laptops, 2-3 mobile, devices, 4-6 security cameras, a smart TV with built-in camera, remote video doorbell, and drone helicopters that one got as a Christmas, all these together could be accessed by hackers if intended to.

Furthermore, most of these cameras need not be hacked as they could be readily available for access. A product called Shodan, can help users identify vulnerabilities pertaining to their internet connection and webcams.

Enrich your cyber practices at home

Covering your webcam with a tape is a good option. However, shutting down your laptops instead of letting them into hibernation during non-working hours could be even more beneficial.

In corporate network, devices are secured by firewall, antivirus, IDS, IPS, SIEM, Endpoint Security solutions and more but at home, we need to be extra cautious to keep our digital equipments safe.

Brute force attacks and phishing have become prevalent, so ensure you have got strong passwords, preferably alphanumerical with symbols. Do not open mails from anonymous senders, and report it back to the mail client provider to ensure the sender and the mail is blocked out of their servers. Webcams are tricky, but certain precautionary measures from our side can make the hacking relatively complex for hackers. It’s always better to be safe than be sorry. 

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