Direct, online, LIVE access to 785 private security cameras in Singapore has been made available through insecam.com in an apparent attempt to highlight the “security flaws” of such cameras.
More than 73,000 security cameras world-wide where users have not changed the default password are displayed on the web.
785 Singaporean surveillance and web cameras can be freely accessed from the web, and is on display at an American website called insecam.com where prying eyes and perverts can spy in on their neighbors and anyone around the world through web cameras that have been set up with only the default password.
The security flaws affects Internet connected IP Cameras where users have failed to change the default admin passwords from the ones that come with the products such as admin or admin12345.
This particular website exposes IP cameras. These are external devices typically bought to keep an eye on valuables, act as a baby monitor, or make up a home or business security system. Some of these devices come with a default password that many users do not change, which is how this site is able to access them.
Because of that it is therefore possible for anyone with internet access to directly access the cameras and watch live images from people’s houses, living rooms or even worse bedrooms.
The website Administrator of insecam.com informed Vice that the collection of open cameras were done automatically by scanning IP addresses and in that way found more than 73,000 cameras that are available from more than 100 countries.
So if you got an IP web camera in your home and you have never changed the original passwords, then change your password now!
Some of the feeds have since been removed from the site after the security flaw was revealed and while there may be concerns with the creator of the website having breached people’s privacy this is also a good reminder for anyone who may be have an internet webcam to be aware of the danger of leaving the default passwords on their devices.
More details on the security flaws can be found at Vice.
Source: www.therealsingapore.com
