Unsecured IP cameras - Preventing your Security Cameras from Hacking
More and more people are buying security cameras to keep themselves safe, but how safe are these cameras themselves?
Increasing Use of Security Cameras
The IP security camera market is currently valued at over $8 billion, and it is projected to surpass $20 billion by 2025, according to a study by Global Market Insights. The potential growth of this market can be explained factors such as the increasing adoption of smart homes, increasing crime rates and the increasing ease of installation of security cameras.
However, as more and more people are using security cameras, and more and more companies have started to bring security cameras into the market, another phenomenon has arisen. Many unsecured IP security cameras have been hacked, allowing the hackers to watch whatever the camera sees. This phenomenon is made easier by websites like Shodan.io, a search engine for internet-connected devices, and Insecam.org, a website that allows you to see streams from unprotected cameras across the world.
Hacking of Security Cameras
According to a report by Security Sales & Integration, nearly 40% of security cameras could be "vulnerable to cyber-attacks". The main reason for this, is because of outdated firmware and using the same password for multiple cameras. When firmware is not updated, the camera is not equipped with the latest security measures, and hence more likely to be hacked by others. If all passwords are the same across multiple cameras, once one camera is hacked, all the other cameras can easily be tapped into as well.
However, it is important to note, that this isn't the case for all security cameras. Most cameras that are victims to cyber-attacks are traditional IP cameras, and not modern "smart" cameras like Litmor.
How Are Security Cameras Protected?
Ttraditional IP cameras merely require pre-configured username and password to access, and a lot of people don't set these up securely. Many users retain the default username and password, which can easily be accessed by hackers. Some cameras don't even have a default password. Aside from this, on traditional IP cameras, firmware needs to be updated manually, and as mentioned before, many users do not do this.
Smart cameras like Litmor, on the other hand, require an online account, with personal account username and passwords, making it harder for others to hack the camera. On top of this, some "smart" cameras, including Litmor, have two-factor authentication, adding a layer of security. Firmware is also updated automatically, meaning the devices are always equipped with the latest security measures.
How to Prevent Hacking of Security Cameras
So, to conclude, let’s look at how you can increase the security of your security cameras?
For a traditional IP security camera
- Make sure to keep your security firmware is up to date.
- For wireless cameras, make sure to connect the camera to encrypted wireless networks (using encryption such as WPA2 and SSL/TLS).
- In case the camera is not password protected, set a password.
- In any case, change the default credentials such as username and password to something personal and hard to guess.
For all types of security cameras, make sure that the app used to connect to the device is also up to date.
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