Gone are the days of criminals cutting camera wires to evade detection: with the proliferation of affordable internet-connected cameras, burglars must resort to Wi-Fi jamming.
Blocking the signal blinds the device and stalls home and business surveillance systems, which is concerning considering internet protocol cameras account for up to 40% of the surveillance market.
Let's examine what's happening and consider how users can ensure their cameras stay online in the face of tech-savvy burglars.
Surveillance has come a long way since closed-circuit television cameras.
Fast-forward a few decades, and the world's gone digital, and surveillance cameras are far more affordable and available.
Instead, they are often cheap cameras that connect via the internet.
It was only a matter of time until would-be burglars exploited the weaknesses of IP cameras.
Minnesotan police recently reported a string of robberies using a Wi-Fi jammer to knock out connected security cameras.
With no functioning camera, the criminal gang burglarized the homes essentially unseen.
Look online and you'll find stories since the start of this decade of surveillance cameras and camera-enabled devices suffering from jamming attacks.
Third, most entry-level cameras - 99.9% in my estimation - are susceptible to this hack.
The beauty of IP cameras is their simplicity but, in this instance, it's also their weakness.
If the Wi-Fi signal is blocked, then the camera is useless.
It's now up to users to respond to this threat and protect their cameras.
First, look to integrate some power-over-ethernet cameras into your security mix.
As the name implies, this type of camera receives power via ethernet cabling, thereby sending the video feed directly to the source.
This kind of solution is also possible with cameras that communicate with SIM cards over mobile networks.
Finally, set up your smart home to continuously check the status of your cameras.
If the camera disconnects, the next status check will fail, and users can receive push notifications and investigate immediately.
Knowing that your cameras are likely under attack and reacting quickly could be the difference between catching the culprits or not.
This Cyber News was published on www.helpnetsecurity.com. Publication date: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 05:28:04 +0000