Certain baby monitors provide easy access for hackers (via ThinkStock photo)
The home is supposed to be a safe haven for you and your family, the one place you can go to to feel protected. Homeowners, especially ones with kids, sometimes go the extra mile and equip cameras and monitors for an extra layer of safety. While these items may help parents make sure their child is safe, it doesn't prevent attacks from hackers. There have been several cases of baby monitors and cameras being hacked with the attacker leaving disturbing comments to the child. Recently, a couple from Washington reported to KIRO7 that their three-year-old son complained of voices in his room. The parents were unsure at first until they heard the message for themselves: “Wake up, little boy. Daddy's looking for you.” The device they used included a camera, a smartphone app for remote check in, and connected to the internet, all of which made it susceptible to cyber attacks. Foscam, the monitor company, revealed that it is possible for a total stranger to remotely control the device, but it can't track down who or from where.
As scary as it may sound, this is only one of several cases. A family from Rochester, MI reported they began to notice strange things with their nanny cam, also by Foscam. The mother noticed the monitor playing music in the middle of the night and changing the camera angle on its own. She then tracked down the IP address and learned this behavior came from a hacker located in Amsterdam, who proceeded to post several pictures of the family's nursery online. Last summer, someone hacked into a Houston family's baby monitor and yelled at their infant daughter to “wake up, you little ***.” The Gilbert family was using the same software as the other previous cases. Not only could the hacker speak to the child, he could see her as well.
As more and more reports of baby monitors being hacked come in, tech experts and the Foscam company themselves are urging parents to change their account passwords, change their WiFi password, and make sure the security firmware is up to date. Devices with the ability to connect online make it easier for hackers to access, so it's important for parents to take necessary measures to keep themselves safe. Michael Peros, a cyber spy expert, warns that hackers can access baby monitors at anytime. He continues “They would watch the network activity and they would find an IP address with a Mac and gain access to the system with that information.” The simplest way to avoid getting hacked? Removing the monitor from the internet. We may love all the new technology that has made our lives easier, but we still need to be cautious of it.
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