Secure Your Web Cameras To Keep Others From Spying On You

It's difficult to find a computer, mobile phone, or even television without a webcam as standard equipment these days. They're certainly handy and have allowed us to be the selfie-taking society that we are, whether we like it or not, and give us the ability to video chat with those far away. However, this great technology also comes with some reservations and warnings: It can allow others to potentially spy on your every move.

There are some indicators, such as the little LED light to tell you you're being watched. But some hackers have figured out a way to activate the camera without that happening. Fortunately, that is a rare occurrence.

There are a few other precautions to take with regard to that camera.

• If you're not using the camera, cover it up with a piece of black tape or a sticky note so that even if it does suddenly click on, it won't show anything.

• If you can deactivate it in your settings, do so when not in use.

• Make sure you have anti-malware installed and updated on your computer. Also, make sure those patches and updates are applied when they are released.

• Don't open attachments or click links that are unsolicited. Many times, malware that allows for spying is within those.

• Keep the firmware on the devices updated as well. The manufacturers release those periodically and you should apply them. Check for updated versions the first time you install an internet-connected device as well.

• Don't forget to change the default passwords on internet-accessible devices in your home such as baby monitors or security cameras. Make sure those passwords are strong passwords that are a mixture of upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers and special characters. Also, don't use passwords you have used on other accounts such as your bank account.

• Any time you use a public computer, there is no guarantee it's free from malware, so if you don't want to be on camera when using those, put something over the lens.

Miss Teen USA of 2013, Cassidy Wolf was a victim of spying by a former classmate. He had installed a remote access trojan (RAT) called Blackshades on her laptop without her knowledge and took naked photos of her. He subsequently tried to blackmail her with them. She contacted authorities and he was eventually arrested and served a prison sentence. 

The European Union's Judicial Cooperation Unit arrested nearly 100 people for developing and using Blackshades last year. It's estimated that between September 2010 and April 2014, Blackshades generated sales of more than $350,000.