Cybercriminals are constantly improving their tactics to get as many victims as possible to directly steal their money, or to blackmail them by threatening to release private and intimate photos of them.

According to a recently published study, 24% of users cover their computer cameras for fear of being spied on. The study indicated that 22% of users are not aware at all that they may be exposed to spying through computer cameras, while only 50% of users know the existence of this threat and admit that it does not make them feel comfortable. It should be noted that cybercriminals do not only target well-known personalities, each of us may be of interest to them. The study reported that covering the lens is not the most effective method of protection. This method may thwart visual espionage temporarily, but it never works in the device’s built-in webcam microphone, and even prevent images from being intercepted when users open their cameras themselves.

Reasons for hacking

There are several reasons for hacking webcams. First, cybercriminals can use it to steal corporate secrets or access financial services. Sometimes the indifference of users makes this task easier for cybercriminals. For example, 1 in 10 users reported writing their account login details on a piece of paper near their computer. An advanced camera can easily capture this information. Second, scammers can take inappropriate photos of a victim who is unaware that someone is spying on them. These images may be used for blackmail or entertainment purposes, which may cause embarrassment to the victim.

security solutions

There are many security solutions that provide protection against malware that is able to spy through the webcam, but they will not work if the program is not malicious in principle, that is, it is only transmitting the image for example, or the fraudster uses licensed software for this purpose. To ensure that users are kept aware of the applications and processes that can be seen through the webcam, and to ensure privacy protection, applications can be used that continuously monitor the integrated or separate webcam and notify the user of any attempts to access it. Users only have to choose whether or not to allow a program to transfer the image. This solution also offers the default feature to disable webcam access.

Shady Awad – Republic