Have you ever done this?
Even when the device is turned off?
Yeah, me too — better safe than sorry.
I’m sure my camera isn’t spying on me.
100% sure.
Absolutely.
But just in case it is, I’ll cover it.
Am I paranoid?
Are you?
Let’s start with the thing that’s most important to our lives.
No, not love!
Our phones!
(Just kidding, love IS more important, but that’s above my paygrade).
If someone gets ahold of your phone and guesses your passcode, they can install spyware on
it.
Spyware isn’t hard to find or use.
For a few hundred dollars, anyone can buy it online.
Once the spyware is installed, the attacker can remotely turn on the phone’s camera,
track the victim’s location, and even intercept their phone calls.
This kind of malware is called stalkerware.
It’s often used by someone close to the victim — a jealous significant other, for
example — who has access to the victim’s phone and knows their passcode.
So set up a secure passcode for your phone, and don’t share it with anyone!
An attacker could also turn on your phone’s camera remotely — but only if your phone
has been compromised in some way.
For example, some hackers discover vulnerabilities in phone software and sell them online for
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Someone with many resources may buy this dangerous knowledge and use it to spy on people remotely.
As you see, this kind of operation requires advanced knowledge or considerable resources.
In any case, it’s super important to run the latest version of the iOS or Android software
on your phone.
Hit update now to patch up those vulnerabilities.
Apps are another gateway for bad actors.
When you give an app permission to use your camera, you trust that app with your privacy.
But not all apps are trustworthy.
Not all apps require your data to function.
Why would a weather app or a calculator need access to your camera?
Update the apps you trust.
Delete the ones you don’t use.
And then there’s your laptop.
It always has its eye on you.
Is anyone watching you from the other side?
It depends.
Most of the time we spend in front of a laptop isn’t especially exciting.
Few hackers would enjoy observing you while you work on a spreadsheet.
Unless you’re a head of state.
Or a rockstar.
However, webcams can be hacked.
As with your phone, a hacker needs to slip remote-control malware onto your laptop to
spy on you.
Usually, it’s easier to inject malware onto a laptop than onto a phone because laptops
present a wider attack surface.
What are the warning signs?
If your webcam light is on when the webcam is off, something might not be right.
But let’s not worry yet.
Maybe another program or browser extension is using your webcam.
Reboot your computer.
If the webcam light turns on when you open the browser, the problem is likely a browser
extension.
Deactivate your extensions one at a time to identify the culprit.
If an app is at fault, you’ll need to launch all applications to see when the indicator
lights up.
The process may be time-consuming.
Sorry.
If your webcam light turns on a few seconds after rebooting, your computer might’ve
been hacked.
Scan your system for malware immediately.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, speak to a tech professional.
However, some advanced attacks can take over a laptop’s camera without the light even
blinking.
Whether or not the light switches on really comes down to the device’s firmware.
And firmware can be overridden.
That’s why keeping your system up to date and using powerful anti-malware is your best
line of defense.
Don’t wait until the light starts blinking.
If the laptop was provided by your employer, it may come with preinstalled bossware, which
tracks everything you do on the computer and has access to the webcam.
Some bosses, unfortunately, are creepy like that.
The best case for your privacy remains the webcam cover.
It’s simple, it’s cheap, it’s effective.
So no — you’re not paranoid.
In most cases, you’re not paranoid enough.
Don’t snooze on your security.
Update your software now.
Take care, until next time!
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