How to secure security cameras

Security cameras for our homes are legion on the market today. But in order to install them correctly and not compromise the entire security of your home, there are rules to follow.

Installing an internet-connected video surveillance system in your home won’t necessarily attract hackers to your Wi-Fi network, but it has happened before and the consequences can be dramatic. In 2020, it was an ADT customer who paid the price and discovered the most edifying rose pots. Therefore, like any related object, they need to be secured.

Is your security system at risk?

Many security systems, including those sold by Google Nest and Wyze, include strong encryption. Most security companies that employ professional technicians also have strict procedures in place to prevent incidents like ADT. Whether it is limiting the possible actions of technical specialists during their intervention or something else.

With DIY systems, customers customize everything the way they want. This risk is less, but if customers want to add additional tracking, things can get more complicated. Adding people to any system increases the risk, here’s how it happens.

And even if you exclude the human factor, this does not mean that your connected cameras are safe.

How can hackers access your cameras?

Remote hacks are very common. Even a high-end device with a high level of encryption does not guarantee protection against hacking. A hacker can access your video stream in two ways: locally or remotely.

To access it locally, the hacker must be within range of the wireless network to which the camera is connected. There he needs to access the network. Once in the local network, if the camera is old enough, its communication may not be encrypted. So it’s easy to get it under control. And take control of many other related objects in the house. Local hacking is unlikely to happen to you, as the attacker must be close to you.

Remote hacks, on the other hand, are a much more plausible scenario. A data breach can result in the loss of your credentials. Once this happens, there is nothing you can do other than change your passwords. And if you use the same passwords for multiple services, your privacy is at risk. If, in addition, your devices are quite old, with old software, then the risks can be very high.

For a hacker who knows how to do this, finding the next target only requires a Google search. For example, many individuals and businesses install camera systems without changing the username and/or password. Some sites such as Shodan.io display video feeds from these cameras.

How to know if your cameras have been hacked

It’s almost impossible to know if your cameras have been hacked. Attacks can go unnoticed, and the general public often doesn’t even know where to look.

An unusually slow performance could be a warning sign. The hacker will connect to your cameras to read the video feed. If they are having trouble responding, this could be a sign. But then again, this may be a perfectly normal explanation.

How to protect the security of your cameras

No system is impenetrable, but you can take precautions to reduce the risk.

• Use cameras from reputable manufacturers.
• Use cameras with strong encryption.
• Change your credentials to something that is not easy to guess.
• Please update the software as soon as possible.
• Use two-factor authentication if available.

Also avoid conditions that invade your privacy. Hacking, at least by private individuals, remains unlikely and avoidable, but if you don’t place cameras in “intimate”areas, you’ll avoid the worst.

You can also host your cameras on their own network. This helps prevent an intruder who accesses your network through the camera from accessing your entire home network. But it makes the day-to-day management of your cameras more difficult.

To go even further, you can use a virtual private network (VPN) to restrict devices from accessing the network used by the cameras. You can also keep logs of all your online activity in case something out of the ordinary happens.

The chances of falling victim to such an attack are slim, especially if you follow the most basic precautions.