Rebecca Manzi Hackers can easily access children's surveillance cameras, putting the safety of children and the whole family at risk: how to protect them
Little do you know, the spy cameras monitoring your kids become, in turn, the easy target for the cyber bad guys, and put your child’s safety at serious risk. However, there are ways through which one can make the devices much more secure, following some key precautions.
Change default passwords immediately
Of course, one of the immediate moves you should consider is changing the default passwords right away. Most of the default passwords used in surveillance cameras are well-known and readily available to any hacker. You need to make a custom password with a complicated, hard-to-guess structure. Use both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols to make the password more resistant to possible attacks.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
Another very important security measure involves the activation of two-factor authentication. Consequently, this system will require another layer of verification aside from the password, like a code sent to your smartphone, which will make the job much more complicated for criminals.
Keep software up-to-date and use secure Wi-Fi network
Besides, one should not overlook the updates concerning camera and router software. Remember, while updates introduce some new features, very often they patch vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. Otherwise, this would make your network open to risks that could easily have been avoided.
Also, for added security, make sure you connect it on a secure Wi-Fi network with a strong password. When possible, use encryption to ensure the data being transmitted is encrypted. With a poorly protected network configuration, it would be very simple for hackers to access the camera.
Another tip would be physically blocking the lens of a camera when it’s not in use. This may be particularly important if the device sits in a child’s room. It may be that the camera itself has a sliding cover over the lens; alternatively, simple methods such as using a small piece of tape are available.
Disable unnecessary features
Lastly, you would want to disable unnecessary features like remote access and cloud storage if you don’t really need them. Such functions may become additional vulnerable points if these were not configured properly. Thus, these easy habits should help you significantly reduce the chances of giving hackers access to your surveillance camera and aligning your family’s privacy and safety.
