It’s a bit of strange irony that the item you are installing on your home may be what is making you unsafe. Sure, you buy security cameras for your home, but it appears that the only reason the camera is keeping you safe is that cybersecurity experts are aiding in the endeavor to keep you safe.
Trend Micro cybersecurity experts report that they blocked an astounding five-million hack attempts on IoT cameras. It’s quite frightening to think what may have happened if these experts weren’t hard at work.
Security Camera Insecurities
This is what’s creating the irony. We are installing these cameras out of a desire to keep our homes, contents, and families safe. However, the cameras are easily exploited by hackers, so it seems we’re really no better off, save for the experts who must be working overtime to block five-million hacking attempts.
It’s easy to see why the security cameras are being targeted. If they’re placed outside your home, criminals can hack into the cameras and then see when you’re home or when you’ve retired for the night. Cameras placed inside shows them what pricey objects you have in your home, what room you are in, and microphones alert them to what you’re discussing.
Additionally, because IoT cameras are charged with securing your home, they are constantly connected. But this connectivity also leaves them open to being hacked. Aside from that, users aren’t interacting with them at all times like they are other devices, and there’s no aftermarket app to protect them.
They also have enough computing power to perform hacking tasks, including cryptocurrency mining, and the high bandwidth makes them suitable for DDoS attacks.
Once hackers figure out how to hack into your Ring Camera, they can figure out how to hack into all Ring Cameras. It’s an easy, profitable, illegal business for them.
When’s the last time you thought about changing your password on your security camera? It’s probably been a while, and many of them, especially the cheaper non-name-brand ones, don’t prompt you to change the default passwords.
Trend Micro worked with IP security solution provider VIVOTEK to work on securing 7,000 cameras. Dr. Steve Ma, VP of Engineering, Brand Business Group at VIVOTEK reports, “While the industry has known about cyber risks, manufacturers have been unable to properly address the risk without knowing the root cause and attack methods.”
The two companies worked together to create the first surveillance devices that offer brute force attack protection and hosted IPS.
This is important because Trend Micro found that 75 percent of blocked attacks were brute force login attempts. It showed a “clear pattern” to them that IoT cameras are being targeted with common malware.
They feel the best way to beat this is “complete end-to-end protection and risk awareness.” They believe that’s key and that it should involve “manufacturers, service providers, system integrators and end users.”
High-Tech Window Peepers
These hackers are nothing more than high-tech window peepers. Essentially, that’s what they’re doing, looking into your home with malicious intent to do something illegal.
And as a whole, security camera users are unaware, as they installed these cameras thinking they were keeping their homes safe. Do you have a security camera? Does this make you feel less safe? Tell us what you think in the comments.
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