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Cybercriminals don't need too much to gain access to your phone.
It could be anything from an outdated app, an infected link, or an unsecured Wi-Fi connection.
Once they're in, they can watch you, listen to you, and even use what they gather to blackmail you. This is where your camera could be used to spy on you, take photos or videos, and even use the material gathered to blackmail you.
Experts at NordVPN are warning the public that camera hacking, known as 'camfecting' is on the rise and becoming a common cybercrime.
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A telltale sign that your phone camera is spying on you is if you find your phone camera turns on by itself, i.e. it’s in use when it shouldn’t be.
On iPhones and Androids, the green power light of your camera will be on to show the camera is in use. The same is seen on laptops whereby the webcam will have a light to indicate that it's on even when not in use.
However, it's not always this obvious.
If your phone has been acting strangely performance-wise, or you're seeing apps you didn't download, it could mean someone's messing with your device's security.
Fortunately, there are some ways to protect yourself. But don't be fooled into thinking sticking a piece of tape or blue-tac over the lens will keep the hackers at bay.
Adrianus Warmenhoven from NordVPN said: 'Putting a piece of tape or a camcover over your device's camera is perhaps the easiest and most reliable way to prevent someone from watching you through your computer camera and improve your home security.
'However, by putting this physical blocker in place you simply restrict the attacker's view, but don't solve the actual issue. Keep in mind that the same malware that allows cybercriminals to access your camera, also can provide access to your personal files, messages, and browsing history.'
Viruses can be embedded into emails, texts, allowing unwanted scammers to access your devices.
To keep your devices safe, always have antivirus software installed, use a firewall, and never open links from people you don't know.
It's also good practice to use different passwords for different accounts and logins, so that if you are a target of an attack, it's much less likely for all of your data to be breached.
