How can I protect myself from webcam hacking?
It is indeed possible to hack a webcam. Let's see what methods you can use to protect yourself in an optimal way against webcam hacking.
First defense: hide your webcam
A simple cover of the webcam will make ineffective any attempt to take a picture or video by it. We therefore strongly advise you to hide your webcam with a home-made solution or with our webcam cover available here for more comfort in use 😉
Update your computer
Although it may seem boring, it is really effective because software editors (Windows / Apple / Adobe / Java / Internet Browser) publish their patches to remedy the security flaws published regularly.
A complete and up-to-date antivirus
One of the most effective ways to protect yourself as an individual is to have a good, up-to-date and complete Antivirus.We can only emphasize the term "complete" because in fact some editors offer free Antivirus solutions that have only limited functionality.Based mainly on a signature directory, when they encounter a new virus or a variant, they remain ineffective and let the infection pass...On the other hand, a signature-based system coupled with a behavioral threat detection mechanism (heuristic system) will allow to be proactive on new threats.Add to this some promising and efficient "sandbox" systems allowing the execution of your files arriving on your computer in a closed environment in order to analyze it, will allow an optimal protection.If you are looking for a complete antivirus you can look at BitDefender, MalwareBytes Premium, Kaspersky or Symantec.
Configure your internet box properly
Our computer is not the only one incriminated when an infection is successful.Indeed, some Internet boxes rented from our operator have a default configuration which, as a general rule, rarely poses a problem in terms of security.However, once again, the human factor comes into play and the changes you make to your box may lead you to believe that it is risk-free.However, your box is the main rampart for the protection of our computer equipment.Here are a few points not to be neglected concerning the configuration of your Internet box.
1/ FW Rule
It can happen that when you install a software or a new computer equipment, such as a surveillance camera, that it asks you to open a port on your Internet Box.This act is not without consequences. Setting a rule to open a port to your camera or computer is nothing more or less than a door that can be easily opened and reached from the Internet.While this may be convenient for tracking your camera from outside on your phone, it is better to skip this option and choose a camera that uses an external secure server that you can connect to with your phone via an application.
2/ Strong Wifi password
Another point of verification on the configuration of our Internet Box is the complexity of our Wifi password.In order to simplify the connection, you could be tempted to put a simple password but by doing so, you would only allow hackers to access your computer more easily as if it were present at home, directly connected to our Internet Box.
Be careful where you click
Hackers are ingenious and you may have experienced it yourself.Human error is what hackers rely on the most to hack your webcam. And so when browsing the Internet, you need to be extra vigilant when browsing unsafe sites or sites you don't normally visit.One click on what you think is just text or a simple image and one or more advertisements will appear that you will find difficult to close.Sometimes these ads will even make images that look very similar to the close button (the famous red cross at the top right of your window), but this one will be just another ad, sometimes malicious, that will appear in front of you once again.In the same way, when you download an application for your computer or your phone, you should also be careful because hackers have every interest in offering their free applications that are only an intermediary to infect your devices.Thus, we advise you to check that the creator, editor, corresponds to the desired application in the application store for your phone but also to consult the notes and opinions of users as well as the number of downloads that this application has had. Taking into account the consistency of all these elements will allow you to make the best choices.In the case of a software download for your computer, a good method is to take the time to find the official website of the publisher to download it in the right place. As a rule, the publisher of the software you are looking for has arranged for its site to be listed in the first results of your search engine.