The US based domestic intelligence and security service FBI recently issued an advisory about why everyone should cover up their webcam and it would be wise for even people of India to do so.
Security experts have claimed that hackers can break into webcams and watch everything that the users are doing. The importance of these was made evident, when pictures emerged showing Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg using his MacBook Pro with the webcam being covered.
Once the attackers break into a victim’s webcam, they are able to see and record everything around it. There have been several cases of cyber criminals using compromising footage of victims to blackmail them.
In a recent incident, a hacker sent a 27-year-old Toronto woman intimate photos of herself and her boyfriend.
FBI director James Comey said that people should take note on how government offices cover up the cameras and should do so themselves.
“You go into any government office and we all have the little camera things that sit on top of the screen. They all have a little lid that closes down on them. You do that so that people who don’t have authority don’t look at you. I think that’s a good thing,” Comey said.
It is highly advisable that you close your laptop after use, so you can be sure that no one is taking advantage of you.
