How To Protect Wireless IP Cameras From Being Hacked

Why are security cameras installed? Definitely to keep you protected! However, there are some cases when this caution and care of yours can simply backfire on you.

The first major case when the camera security issue was raised was presented by Insecam. It listed around 73000 open wireless cameras around the world, with the number excluding desktop cameras. The service claimed they wanted to show how vulnerable camera owners are in the face of their lack of tech knowledge and caution to be more attentive. This lack of privacy isn't due to a hack or malware that users accidentally installed on the software. The reason is that a lot of people simply forget to change access details of the IP camera from default to a secure login and password.

The issue is that most security cameras use somewhat generic IP addresses for admin access. If that’s the case, the hacker just needs your username and password to hack into the camera, and since those are set to default, that’s easy as one, two, three!

The issue with wireless IP cameras and their security has been widely discussed in this article from The Independent, claiming that home security cameras are anything but secure. Claiming that a lot of people fail to protect their cameras, the article states: “Spare a thought, however, for the person who remains unaware, whose pants are currently visible on a live web feed, suffering in ignorance so that the rest of us benefit, and be thankful that it's not you.”

As you may see, the danger of being watched in your most intimate moments is there, so if you feel like there’s a watching eye following you everywhere, you may want to change your camera’s default settings.

However, keeping a default password isn’t the only way to have your camera accessed by others. Hackers and malware are as close as ever, so it’s worth looking at a couple of steps to keep you secure. 

1. Secure the Internet Network

Or, simply said, your home WiFi. You may be unaware of this, but with a wireless IP camera connected to your home network, anyone who has access to your WiFi password can easily get hold of your camera, too.

Make sure to:

• Create a strong password that you will remember but one that won’t be “Andy 1990” if your name is Andy and you were born in 1990. You need a password that will protect you, yet one you will be able to remember.
   
• Restrict the number of people you share this password with. Try to only share it with your family, and if you have to tell it to friends or acquaintances staying over, make sure you change the password frequently.

Change the default password of your camera
 

Cameras come with default settings and access keys, and while some people make sure to change those, others are less tech-savvy or simply lazier, so they will opt for having the default values in place. If you are one of these people, make sure you do the following:

• Find the local IP address of you internet network you’re using.
   
• Enter this address into the address bar in the web browser and login using your camera’s admin access.  Most cameras will have a default login like “admin” with the same password, or something as easy as “123456789”.
   
• Once logged in, go to the settings and change your password.

This way you won’t leave intruders much chance of getting hold of your camera.

3. Turn on WPA2 Encryption
For wireless cameras you should should only join WPA2-encrypted wireless networks so that wireless eavesdroppers don’t have a chance of accessing your data.

4. Change the password of your router

Everything works the same way here as in case of the camera: there is a default password that you may want to change if you don’t want to get into trouble.

If you have performed all of these actions, you should be pretty safe. However, in order to be at peace of mind, don’t put cameras in your most intimate places where you wouldn’t want to be seen. In the end, who needs a camera in the shower?