As online meetings and classes become more and more standard, using tape to cover your laptop camera lens might not be the ideal choice as tape residue may potentially damage your camera lens. The same goes for the sliding camera lens caps that are available on the market.
Many people cover up their webcam because you never know who could be on the other end watching. If a snoop gains access to your webcam, they might gather footage to extort, blackmail, or cause mayhem in your life. The good news? It's an easy cyberthreat to protect against if you know what you're doing.
As an IT security professional I highly recommend physically covering your digital cameras when not in use. Your phone is highly hackable! I can send you a text message and be in your camera with a misplaced click in just a few seconds.
It seems safe to say that, if you don't want people watching your every move—especially without your permission and when you don't know it—the only way to protect yourself in terms of your technology is to cover up the camera when not in use. And frankly, it really can't hurt.
Log in to your security camera software
Thus you can check if your security camera is on or working. For example, you can turn on your monitor to see whether your IP security camera is recording videotape. If the footage is showing up correctly, the IP security camera is on.
To monitor your home computer or a personal laptop, your employer has to obtain access. Access is required to install some kind of computer monitoring software. Remote desktop sessions do not grant any access without permission. Also your employer is not allowed to monitor your home computer without your consent.
It gives people the advantage of knowing when we're traveling, when our home may be vacant, and what our daily routines are — which could be dangerous. Because our smartphones are more versatile and travel everywhere with us, they are also more of a target for hackers and crooks to break into.
Plenty of spy and stalkerware exists that could compromise your device, and anyone with the right software and expertise could realistically use your phone's camera to spy on you. On top of that, popular app developers aren't immune to accusations of watching you through your phone's camera.
Yes, smartphone cameras can be used to spy on you – if you're not careful. A researcher claims to have written an Android app that takes photos and videos using a smartphone camera, even while the screen is turned off – a pretty handy tool for a spy or a creepy stalker.
As online meetings and classes become more and more standard, using tape to cover your laptop camera lens might not be the ideal choice as tape residue may potentially damage your camera lens. The same goes for the sliding camera lens caps that are available on the market.
Another good way to blind your neighbor's security cameras is to plant a grouping of shrubs or grown trees that are tall enough to block off where the camera is aimed. Also, you can close the curtain or shade on the window to block security cameras.
But, just like any other tech devices, webcams are prone to hacking, which can lead to a serious, unprecedented privacy breach. Think of a case where an authorized person accesses and illegally takes control of your webcam, without your knowledge. Such a person will effortlessly spy on you and the people around you.
Check the Webcam Indicator Light
The little red/green/blue indicator light near the lens lets you know if your webcam is currently recording video. That means the light needs to be off when you are not using the webcam. If you see the light flashing, it means someone else is accessing your webcam.
If someone records you without your permission in a way that breaks federal or state law, you can contact a legal professional, sue them, and get them to pay damages. However, a civil lawsuit isn't the worst thing that can happen to those who illegally record people.
Illegal Recording Under the Wiretap Act
Under the federal Wiretap Act, it is illegal for any person to secretly record an oral, telephonic, or electronic communication that other parties to the communication reasonably expect to be private. (18 U.S.C. § 2511.)
The camera is a powerful feature, but it's vulnerable to damage if it is not properly protected. By using an iPhone case, a screen protector, or a lens cap, you can help to keep your camera safe from scratches, bumps, and other damage.
Your employer may collect data from keyboards, webcams, mouses, the websites you go to, and even your emails on work-issued devices if it's in your employment agreement.
Employers cannot record audio without consent
California Penal Code Section 632 makes it a crime to record audio of confidential conversations without the consent of all parties. Many employers who install surveillance cameras that also make audio recordings are not aware of this.
It's called camfecting – remotely accessing a camera with the help of malware. Done so without your knowledge and permission, of course. This type of hacking is carried out via malware called a remote access trojan (RAT). To plant it, you have to give the hacker access to your computer.