Voice of London

While technology continues to advance, our privacy and internet security decreases due to the devices we use daily.

Cell phones, laptops, security cameras, baby monitors and almost any device that contains a camera are at a higher risk of becoming an invasive live streaming service for strangers when connected to the internet.

In 2013, ‘TRENDnet’, a computer networking product’s manufacturer was found in a scandal after a system failure was discovered.

This glitch allowed anyone across the world gain access to any home camera using the owner’s IP address only if the steps needed to hack was followed correctly.

Links with IP addresses of manipulated cameras were published on ‘Reddit’ and ‘4chan’, allowing the world to browse what each person does 27/7 from their home computer’s camera.

Although ‘TRENDnet’ sent several users of their products updates in 2013, most still have not realised this problem and have spent more than six years with their cameras on without their knowledge.

‘Opentopia.com’ is a website that allows anyone who wants to see public security cameras in countries such as Spain, Japan, United States, Germany among others. All transmissions are supposedly legal and take place in bars, streets and offices.

‘Windows’ and ‘Samsung’ are still looking for ways to combat this type of espionage, but with the deep web expanding every single day, this becomes impossible.

What is the deep web?

In contrast to the ‘surface web’, the deep web is the other side of the internet that can only be accessed by using a different operating system called TOR (the onion router).

The deep web can only be accessed indirectly and not straight from ‘Google’ or ‘Bing’. In addition, it forms 96% of the internet, while what we have access is only 4% on these platforms along the with the operating system such as Windows computers and android phones.

But such cases have caused paranoia in people to cover their cameras since they believe there is someone watching them constantly.

Solutions?

Jorge Ramos, head of IT at a company in Ecuador recommends people to avoid being a victim is by always checking if there are “certain updates to be made on a computer or cell phone.”

Other methods he mentions to stay safe if to not download programs from unknown websites especially on devices that use the Android operating system.

Be careful downloading malware on computers and clicking on suspicious email links.

Keep your built-in cam off or unplug the external webcam from your workstation and activate it when necessary.

Words: Bridget Cardenas Pazmino | Subbing: Ruta Tamulynaite

Featured image credit: Vitamin | Pixabay.com