Last year, Mark Zuckerberg, has incidentally revealed the simple security measures he takes to secure his MacBook: webcam and mic covered with tape. In short time, the story\u00a0was\u00a0covered by many news outlets, drawing everyone\u2019s attention to the security issues. Many asked themselves why he would do such a paranoid thing. Is Mark\u2019s fear of being seen and listened justified? If we think about the possibilities of exploiting webcams, and the fact that there’s even the smallest chance of being watched or heard without our permission, then, Mark’s concerns are totally legit. Taking into consideration the level of success of its business, he has been probably the target of many cyber attacks attempts.
\nJust imagine yourself sitting home, having a glass of wine and working on your laptop in your pajamas\u00a0when suddenly your webcam light starts to blink, recording every little thing you do. Or even worse, having an important work meeting with important clients and partners, discussing financial information and someone is using your webcam and microphone to record everything from your laptop. Sounds pretty scary, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
With accessible tools and phishing techniques, hackers can easily hijack webcams, without your knowledge. Gone are the days when hackers were just a small group of high skilled persons that had advanced technology knowledge. Today, becoming a hacker is much easier than you think. From curious teenagers, jealous partners, detectives or just noisy persons, many can easily become a hacker.
\nPhishing emails are one of the most used techniques. Tools like Meterpreter, with a built-in module for controlling the remote system\u2019s webcam, allow hackers to control the webcam and capture snapshots with it, after getting the victim to click on a link to a malicious website, send a malicious Microsoft Office document or Adobe Acrobat file or more.
\nThe good news is that an attacker\u00a0can\u2019t simply access any webcam at any time. They first have to scan a network for vulnerable operating systems to infect them with a Trojan. Once the Trojan root kit is installed on the victim\u2019s computer, hackers gain physical access to the computer, gaining its control and spying on\u00a0its\u00a0webcam.<\/p>\n
Software like RAT’s (Remote Administration Tools), are usually being used in corporate environments to help configure and track machines remotely, but\u00a0malicious individuals\u00a0can use them for other purposes. Once a RAT has been installed, a hacker can sell to anyone access to its compromised webcam to secretly watch or record everything.\u00a0DarkComet<\/a>, Black Shades<\/a>, are just some examples of RAT tools that have been used in webcam hacks.\u00a0But our purpose here is not to offer an exhaustive list of methods or tools used to exploit webcams, microphones or other computer ports. We want to make you aware of what to stay out of \u2013 e.g. phishing e-mails \u2013 and, most importantly, what other measures you can take to avoid being the victim of webcam and microphone spying.<\/p>\n Most solutions you can use are not specifically designed for webcam and microphone security, but rather for computer and data security in general. Therefore, any technical solution has to be accompanied by a certain user behavior or best practices when it comes to working with certain applications or technologies.<\/p>\n We are living complicated times, with technology deeply integrated into our lives, making them easier, more interesting and, unfortunately, more vulnerable. If we fail to understand the risks, we will surely fail also in fighting them. Webcams, microphones, wearables, etc. are some of the most trivial devices or gadgets we use and, at the same time, able to invade our most private aspects of our lives. Therefore, the effort to respect the above security measures is small compared to the implications of a possible hack. Just think about that when you have your next video call.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last year, Mark Zuckerberg, has incidentally revealed the simple security measures he takes to secure his MacBook: webcam and mic covered with tape. In short time, the story\u00a0was\u00a0covered by many news outlets, drawing everyone\u2019s attention to the security issues. Many asked themselves why he would do such a paranoid thing. Is Mark\u2019s fear of being … <\/p>\nWebcam and microphone security<\/h3>\n
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