If you own a security camera there's a chance that the footage its capturing is currently being live streamed on the internet, as a new report reveals the terrifying reality of over 14,000 cameras in the United States alone.
Security cameras are designed and bought to protect its user, yet in the internet age it might actually be exposing them to potential harm as bad actors are able to get hold of tens of thousands of camera feeds for free online.
Outside of being a general privacy black hole, it also potentially exposes tens of thousands of instances of secret or sensitive information to anyone that wants to access it online, and you might not even know its happening.
As per Tom's Hardware, this all comes from a new report by Bitsight who have indicated that over 14,000 cameras in the United States alone and over 40,000 globally have been unwittingly exposed on the internet - and that could just be the top of the iceberg.
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"These camera - intended for security or convenience - have inadvertently become public windows into sensitive spaces, often without their owners' knowledge," reveals João Cruz, Principal Security Research Scientist at Bitsight.
One of the most terrifying aspects of this situation too is how easy it is for people to access the camera feeds. "It doesn't take elite hacking to access these cameras," Cruz explains, "in most cases, a regular web browser and a curious mind are all it takes."
It can potentially affect everyone from your average bird watcher to some of the biggest companies across the world, and malicious actors are even selling access to certain feeds if they show valuable or desirable content.
With reports that AI can now pinpoint exact locations - including those within your own home - in a matter of seconds from a single frame, it's vitally important that you keep any sensitive information away from those who might exploit it.
America is by far the country most affected by these breaches, with the aforementioned figure of at least 14,000 cameras coming from the United States, but Japan, Austria, Czechia, and South Korea follow behind.
When looking at America specifically, California and Texas have recorded the highest breach numbers with around 1,200 each, whereas areas like Georgia, New York, Florida, and Missouri have also proved to be popular for exposed feeds.
Bitsight has outlined what you can (and should) do in order to prevent your own cameras from becoming exposed, and it's essential to follow or check all of these steps.
First up, you'll want to check if you can access your camera outside of your home network, as if that is the case there's a good chance it's already been exposed.
You'll also want to change the default usernames and passwords as this makes your feed easy for hackers to infiltrate, and disabling remote access to the camera if you don't need it also closes off a major route that cybercriminals can take advantage of.
Keeping your firmware up to date and restricting access with firewalls and VPNs are also key steps to increase your gadget's security, and setting up alerts for unexpected login attempts can help you spot if someone is trying to access your camera feed.