Computer webcams are a hot topic for those worried about internet privacy — and we're not just talking about that Season 3 episode of Black Mirror that we all hate. The most devious of hackers can hijack your computer view, invade your privacy, and catch you in some pretty compromising positions.
2016 was the year that proved that webcam danger is totally real. In August that year, a mother woke up to discover that a hacker had taken pictures of her daughter's room with the security cameras. Former FBI director James Comey even suggested that covering your webcam was tantamount to locking your house or your door. That probably explains why even Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg covers his own webcam.
According to Mashable writer Kellen Beck, there are two kinds of webcams that are perfectly hackable.
Internet-connected webcams typically connect over Wi-Fi. Most have their own IP address, which enables remote access, letting you connect directly to the webcam from anywhere in the world. Of course, that means evil-doers could potentially connect to it as well, so your camera should be protected by a strong password. Unfortunately, these webcams often come with weak default passwords, and many people don't change them.[...]
Computer-connected webcams on the other hand can be a bit more difficult for hackers to get into, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. These are the webcams are the cameras built right into your computers (usually above your laptop screen) or connected via USB.
Hackers can access these cameras through malware. If you accidentally click a bad link or download the wrong file, that malware could contain executable code to turn on your webcam and send that video feed to a website or save it somewhere else. Worse, often this kind of malware can even disable the camera's LED light, so you'd never know your camera's been hijacked just by looking at it.
Devices that include these kinds of webcams are, well, pretty much all of them. Make things easy on yourself and just slap a webcam cover on there when you're not using it so you can safeguard your camera view from creepy internet lurkers.
From webcam covers that slide open and stickers that keep hackers in the dark, to an assortment of clips and other covers, protect yourself from internet trolls with these webcam covers.
Adhesive covers
Adhesive covers with sliders
Clip-on covers
