3 Signs Your Computer’s Webcam Might Have Been Hacked
Technological advancement and malicious attacks on said technology have gone hand-in-hand for a very long time, affecting everything from printers and phones to databases and even cameras. It’s one of the more unfortunate aspects of providing so many devices with internet connectivity (or outright requiring it, really).
Webcams are, of course, no exception to this. With hackers tapping into camera feeds toleverage footage for ransomor even just towatch candid videos for entertainment. Other than never connecting your computer to the internet (which seems impossible these days), there’s no way to completely guarantee such a hack will never happen to you.
That said, there are a few telltale signs you can look out for that may be the result of a hacked webcam. And if it does turn out your webcam has been hacked, or you just want to take a few preemptive steps to make an intrusion more difficult or unappealing, there are a few ways to deal with the threat.
Check the indicator light
If your webcam’s light turns on or starts to blink seemingly at random, you may have been hacked. However, this isn’t a clear-cut case of a hack, either. It’s possible that another app is accessing the webcam for some other non-malicious (or at least not hacker-related) reason.
The indicator light isn’t definitive proof, however, as hackers have been able to access cameras without turning the light on in the past.
Try using the webcam
As odd as it sounds, trying to use your webcam can sometimes help you figure out if it’s been hacked.
Aside from locating and deleting any unfamiliar or unwanted apps that seem to be using your webcam, scanning for malware might be a good idea using your trusted software of choice.
Unexplained recordings
One more sign of a webcam hacking is inexplicable recordings being saved to your computer. In other words, the camera might be hacked if you find video files recorded off of your webcam that you don’t remember making or saving yourself. Where you’ll find these files depends on which program is hypothetically being used to access your webcam in the first place, but there are a few spots you can check pretty easily.
However, files may end up in a different spot if you’ve ever changed the app’s default save location. Similarly, it’s not outside the realm of possibility for hackers to save files in a different location, use a different file naming convention than the default, or simply not save the files at all and live stream the video instead.
Protecting your webcam
Even if your webcam hasn’t been hacked, there are several steps you can take to better protect it from unwanted intrusions.
Really, though, the simplest way to keep a better lid on unwanted use of your computer’s webcam is the webcam itself. If it’s an external model, disconnect it from your computer when it’s not in use or point it at a wall or something similarly blank. You can also cover up the webcam lens so hackers won’t be able to access any kind of visual information by either placing a piece of thick, removable tape (like electrical tape) over it or by using a webcam cover (which can be found in most electronics stores).
