WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.340 Are you being watched? 00:00:03.340 --> 00:00:08.400 Millions of people have indoor smart cameras, but have you ever wondered exactly how resistant 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:13.760 they are to being hacked? And whether someone could be watching you as you sit on your couch, tuck in your kids, 00:00:13.760 --> 00:00:17.680 or engage in other activities? 00:00:17.680 --> 00:00:22.880 Although many of the larger companies that sell indoor cameras tout security as a prime feature, 00:00:22.880 --> 00:00:26.280 IoT devices have a generally poor reputation 00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:29.560 for keeping hackers out. Because these devices are typically built 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:35.760 with more of a focus on the primary function, whether that's a thermostat, a vacuum, or a camera. 00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:40.600 Their security usually isn't as good as say a PC or a smartphone. 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:44.600 So if you're in the market for an indoor camera, how can you know there isn't some kind 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:48.320 of vulnerability like this lurking in the model you've been eyeing up? 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:51.600 Unfortunately, you can't, especially as there's no such 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:57.440 thing as absolute security online. Or in life for that matter. 00:00:57.440 --> 00:01:01.760 But there are ways you can mitigate the risk to the point where you probably won't have 00:01:01.760 --> 00:01:04.940 to worry too much about it. Possibly the most obvious solution 00:01:04.940 --> 00:01:08.760 is to simply have a camera that doesn't connect to the cloud. 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:13.660 There are plenty of cameras that can just record footage to a memory card, but if you actually want 00:01:13.660 --> 00:01:17.920 to view your camera feed in real time, you could consider self hosting, 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:22.680 which typically involves connecting a camera to your network and installing open source software 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:28.240 onto a computer or a server to control it. But this often involves advanced configuration 00:01:28.240 --> 00:01:32.440 beyond what a typical user who just wants a plug and play solution would go for. 00:01:32.440 --> 00:01:37.040 And just because you do it yourself doesn't mean you're immune from security holes. 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:41.080 Namely, you need to watch out for devices that ask you to open up a port 00:01:41.080 --> 00:01:46.680 or to enable a feature called UPNP. You can think of ports as a series of doors 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:52.200 between your network and the outside internet, each with their own number and usually a purpose. 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:55.280 Normally your home network should have all ports closed 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:59.580 so that you don't have randos from God knows where connecting to your devices. 00:01:59.580 --> 00:02:04.880 But some services require you to open ports for them to function correctly and UPNP, 00:02:04.880 --> 00:02:09.440 which stands for universal plug and play, can open ports automatically. 00:02:09.440 --> 00:02:15.580 Reputable smart cameras often allow you to connect without opening ports, but if you do have to open one, 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:19.120 it can be very easy for a bad actor to locate your camera 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:23.900 and just start watching its video feed. In fact, there's even a special search engine 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:27.260 called Shodan, no relation to the malevolent AI, 00:02:27.260 --> 00:02:31.980 specifically designed to allow people to find IOT devices such as cameras. 00:02:31.980 --> 00:02:35.620 And if you've opened up the wrong port, you might have just given someone out there 00:02:35.620 --> 00:02:40.540 a free pass into your living room. Hope you laid out some snacks, cause they're hungry. 00:02:40.540 --> 00:02:45.660 Of course, this doesn't mean a solution that involves opening ports is always a terrible idea. 00:02:45.660 --> 00:02:50.460 If you have a good piece of equipment with strong security, including two-factor authentication, 00:02:50.500 --> 00:02:56.100 opening a port may not be that big of a deal. Now, if self-hosting safely seems a bit too complicated, 00:02:56.100 --> 00:03:01.040 but you still want remote access to your cameras, it's likely you'll end up purchasing a camera 00:03:01.040 --> 00:03:04.140 from a big brand that offers a cloud-based app. 00:03:04.140 --> 00:03:08.820 But these can have their own issues. Avoiding security issues with cloud-based products 00:03:08.820 --> 00:03:13.820 starts with choosing a camera manufacturer with a good track record of being privacy focused, 00:03:13.820 --> 00:03:17.060 as some of them have made headlines for the wrong reasons. 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:22.000 Anchor, for example, caught some serious heat after their Eufy brand of security cameras 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:26.080 was found to have a pretty big flaw that would allow an attacker to tap 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:30.600 into a live camera feed fairly easily if they knew the unit's serial number. 00:03:30.600 --> 00:03:33.920 So, theoretically, a bad actor could purchase a camera, 00:03:33.920 --> 00:03:37.000 make note of the serial number, sell it secondhand, 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:40.960 and then spy on the poor sucker who bought it. Confidence in a company, though, 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:45.880 isn't just a question of have they been hacked, but also their response. 00:03:45.880 --> 00:03:51.600 Anchor took quite a while to admit their cameras had security issues after the issue came to light. 00:03:51.600 --> 00:03:55.040 And Wise, another IoT company that makes cameras, 00:03:55.040 --> 00:03:59.040 didn't disclose a different vulnerability for around three years from the time 00:03:59.040 --> 00:04:03.200 they were first informed about it. Wise was also criticized for instructing customers 00:04:03.200 --> 00:04:06.440 to open ports in order to get around a software bug 00:04:06.440 --> 00:04:12.680 that caused home routers to block access to the camera feed, which, in turn, caused a security hole. 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:15.800 So if you wanna feel a bit better about the camera you choose, 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:21.280 find a company that has dealt with any previous security breaches in a proactive manner. 00:04:21.280 --> 00:04:26.520 But aside from avoiding messing with ports and vendors with spotty security records, 00:04:26.520 --> 00:04:31.240 you should also take common sense precautions. For a camera that depends on cloud services, 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:37.540 such as those sold by Google's Nest brand, have a strong password and enable two-factor authentication. 00:04:37.540 --> 00:04:41.760 Consider using a camera shutter when you're at home and ensure your home Wi-Fi network 00:04:41.760 --> 00:04:46.240 is protected by a strong password. Of course, there's also something to be said 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:49.760 for simply pointing your smart camera towards an area of your home 00:04:49.760 --> 00:04:55.160 where you're not going to be walking around without your clothes on, just an idea. 00:04:55.160 --> 00:05:00.200 And seems like it was a great idea for you to click this video because you watched it to the end, wasn't that fun? 00:05:00.200 --> 00:05:04.120 Hey, thanks for watching, like the video if you liked it, dislike it if you disliked it, 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:07.800 check it out or other videos below, comment the video suggestions in. 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:10.440 Hey, subscribe and follow.