When my children were younger and we went on a trip in the car longer than the ten minutes needed to get to the grocery store, we used to play the game I Spy. I Spy, with my little eye…something red. Is it a car? Is it a barn?The game I Spy, played on the Internet, is something completely different from the car version. The Internet is a smorgasbord of data and devices, waiting to be discovered. There are profiles, images, videos and more, like webcams and industrial sensors. I’m sure you’ve heard of IoT – the Internet of Things.
I Spy…You…making dinner…in your kitchen. Nice glass of wine.
We’ve become a surveillance state. As helpful as having a video can be when trying to identify a bank robber, there’s a major “ick” factor when one considers that a hacker can take control of a device and view you and your loved ones in the comfort of your own home. Yes, it really is that creepy.
Smart TVs can be hacked and so can baby monitors and the device that’s the subject for today’s tip – webcams. That’s how I knew you are making dinner in your kitchen and having a glass of wine. That’s just an example, of course, but it does demonstrate why you should make sure your laptop and other devices with cameras are current on their security updates and monitored for malware, and your WiFi is secure.
If you’ve done all that, there’s still one more tip I can offer. Cover that camera! Get one of the retractable covers or do what many of my colleagues and clients do – cover the camera with electrical tape, a sticker, or something else so so when you decide to dance around the kitchen while cooking, you can do so in private.