Without a doubt one of the most important concerns regarding the privacy of users is the webcam. It is very common to cover the hole of the webcam of a laptop with something or to close it with a plastic when this is possible. There are many attacks that we can suffer when browsing the network and yes, it also includes the control of this type of device that could affect us. We will explain how they can attack a webcam and what to do to avoid it.
How they can attack a webcam
Hackers could use malicious tools to access our equipment and take control of the devices they have connected. An example is the webcam. They could infect us through a Trojan or spyware with the intention of collecting information such as passwords, but also to access these types of devices.
This is something that affects desktop computers but could also occur on mobile phones. A cyber criminal can get into a computer and control everything through a back door that configures with a Trojan or can carry out a series of actions using spyware to control the victim.
What about the camera light ? Many users may think that as long as the light is off, there is no problem. Now, let’s be realistic. If an intruder is able to enter our equipment, will he not be able to configure that light so that it does not activate? Simply by having access to the device you will be able to control the settings, you will therefore be able to automatically deactivate the light when the camera starts.
They could also attack a webcam through vulnerabilities in an application or directly through software that has been maliciously modified. Hence always the importance of installing programs from official and legitimate sources.
Therefore attacking a webcam by cybercriminals is something that is present, that can happen and we need to take measures to avoid compromising our privacy.
How to prevent them from attacking the webcam
Luckily we can take into account different ways to prevent a potential attacker from infecting our computer and gaining access to the webcam. We can avoid problems of this type that affect our privacy simply by following a series of tips that we will explain.
Security tools
Something basic to avoid this type of problem is to always have security tools. A good antivirus can prevent the entry of malware that compromises our system and can affect us.
There are many programs of this type that we can use and are present in all kinds of systems. We must always have security software that can detect possible threats.
Keep teams up to date
It is also essential to have the equipment correctly updated . On many occasions vulnerabilities arise that can be exploited by hackers. It is necessary that we have the latest patches available to correct these problems.
We must apply this not only to the operating system, but also to any application we use. It is important that we have the latest versions.
Install official apps
Of course, the applications we install must be official and downloaded from legitimate sites. In many occasions this type of problem comes after installing some software that has been maliciously modified and that users have downloaded from unsafe third party sites.
Beware of permissions in apps
It may happen that certain applications ask for more account permissions . This may trigger them to have more control over our device, over our privacy. It could lead to the camera being used without our permission. For this reason we must always control the permissions that we grant to the different applications that we install.
Use secure networks
Furthermore, the networks we use are going to be very important to protect our security and privacy . If we connect from a public Wi-Fi network, extreme precautions must be taken to avoid that the information we send can be intercepted by possible intruders. This could also affect our communications, our webcam.
Common sense
But surely the most important thing is common sense . Most attacks will require user interaction. We are talking, for example, of entering a malicious link, accessing an attached file that we have received and which is actually a scam, etc. Common sense must always be kept in mind.