Seoul. Recently a shocking cyber attack has come to light in South Korea. This latest attack has raised serious questions regarding technical security and personal privacy. Around 1 lakh 20 thousand CCTV cameras were hacked by four accused and their recordings were sold as sexual exploitation material on a foreign website.
This incident is even more a matter of concern because in India also the number of CCTV cameras for security in homes and shops is increasing rapidly, but most of the people are unaware of its cyber threats. According to experts, IP cameras are at the highest risk of being hacked. These cameras are convenient because they are connected to the internet, but it becomes easy for cyber attackers to target them.
Most cameras come with a default password, which people forget to change. If the password is weak or factory set, any hacker can remotely access the camera and monitor the activities inside the house. A website named ‘Shodan’ searches for such cameras and exposes their live feeds on the internet. Many times hackers also upload these videos on foreign websites. By changing the direction of the camera, hackers can see activities in the bedroom or private areas of the house. This means that your everyday activities like sleeping, eating or changing clothes can also come into their hands.
Experts say that the most important step to avoid this threat is to set strong and different passwords, which include upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Apart from this, it is very important to turn on multi-factor authentication and always keep the software and firmware updated to the latest version. Caution in cyber security is equally important. If the camera ever rotates on its own or makes any unusual noise, immediately change the password and lodge a complaint with the cyber cell or police. Avoid installing cameras in bedrooms, bathrooms or sensitive areas. If these simple but effective measures are adopted, cameras in homes and shops can remain safe from the reach of hackers.
