Welcome to 2017, where technology is way ahead of us – with smart phones, smart TV, voice enabled remote controls and more. Now, here’s the thing with technology, it can be hacked.
I’m sure you’ve seen many people putting stickers across their webcam, maybe even you yourself do it. If you don’t, then you’ve likely heard plenty of people advising you to do so because hackers can potentially watch and record you through your webcam without you even having a hint of what is going on. The webcam lights may not turn on and there you are, vulnerable as ever!
Malaysia’s national cyber security agency said in 2016 that it detected multiple intrusions on several local servers for years now and even issued advisories to victims that sadly ignored their warning. Aside from webcam hacking, technology has boomed so fast that hacking into your microphone on your computer, phone and more is a thing. Putting a tape over your webcam might make you feel a little safer because no one is watching you in a state of vulnerability. Imagine your pictures taken when you just came out from a shower!
You must be thinking to yourself “I’m no one, I’m not going to be a target” but I’d hate to break it to you that in 2016 over 2,100 servers were compromised and their access were sold to hackers for as low as RM29 (USD6) up to RM24,600 (USD6000) through an underground cybercrime shopping website that goes by the name xDedic aka the “eBay of cybercrime”. xDedic is where hackers typically shop for access and passwords to infiltrated servers worldwide for criminals to buy.
Source: collegechoice
Here’s a real-life case to put everything into perspective – how dangerous it would be.
In Netherlands, one woman learnt how intrusive these gadgets can get when she realised her web camera was spying on her. She initially had bought a webcam to keep an eye on her puppy while she was at work but turns out, she was the one being monitored. Rilana was with a friend when she realised her webcam swivelled to look at her from across the room. Terrified, she took out her cellphone and started to record the webcam as it appeared to mumble in attempt to have a conversation with Rilana. It swivelled continuously before uttering “suck my d**k” to Rilana and sadly, that is the reality of pervs and hackers nowadays. See why you really need to put a tape over your webcam now?
Although less common, you can try putting tape over your microphone to avoid having hackers eavesdrop on you too! See, even Mark Zuckerberg does it!
Mark Zuckerberg puts tape over his webcam (top) and microphone (bottom left side of his leptop)
Anyway, if you don’t have a tape over your computer’s webcam or microphone, you may wanna reconsider doing so now!
Also read: Man Lost RM11,000 After Maybank Account was Hacked, Tells Malaysians to Beware
