{"id":56293,"date":"2026-08-19T12:21:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=56293"},"modified":"2026-08-19T12:21:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:21:25","slug":"five-rules-against-ip-camera-surveillance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/five-rules-against-ip-camera-surveillance\/56293\/","title":{"rendered":"Five rules to stop IP cameras from spying on you"},"content":{"rendered":"

These days, it can feel like there\u2019s a camera watching us from every corner: a video doorbell by the front door, a laptop webcam in the home office, an IP baby monitor in the children\u2019s room, a smart TV with a camera and microphone in the bedroom, a robot vacuum with a navigation camera roaming around the house\u2026 Even a smart cat feeder could be spying on you! And any one of these cameras can easily become a useful tool for extortionists, blackmailers, or simply curious malicious actors.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to look far for examples. South Korea, late 2025: not one device, but 120,000 IP cameras were hacked<\/a>. The criminals sold intimate footage and recordings of people\u2019s everyday lives by subscription in private chats.<\/p>\n

In this article, we look at exactly where the threat comes from, and outline five rules that can greatly reduce your chances of becoming the star of a voyeur\u2019s show.<\/p>\n

Real-life cases of surveillance<\/h2>\n

Hotel porn by subscription<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, reports<\/a> of miniature cameras being discovered in hotel rooms and rental apartments have become almost routine. Technically, these belong to a separate category of devices \u2014 \u201cspy cameras\u201d disguised as power outlets, smoke detectors, or alarm clocks. We\u2019ll explain a little later how to detect them.<\/p>\n

Criminals don\u2019t just publish footage from spy cameras \u2014 they even livestream it. Access to intimate videos, naturally, isn\u2019t free. In some regions, criminals have built an entire infrastructure around spy cameras: some people install the cameras, others process the footage, while still others sell access through the dark web or messaging apps. Victims typically discover that there was a hidden camera in their hotel room purely by accident<\/a>, after coming across videos of themselves on porn sites.<\/p>\n

Hunting motorists<\/h3>\n

Another popular attack vector is hacking dashcams<\/a> that can connect to the internet. These devices are tempting targets for attackers: their security is often weak, while the footage clearly shows license plates, road signs, and addresses on buildings. The recordings also contain detailed metadata, including exact dates, GPS coordinates, and more.<\/p>\n

This can allow criminals to identify a victim\u2019s regular routes, determine where their car is parked, or even eavesdrop on conversations with passengers. There can be enough information for full-scale surveillance, car theft, or even blackmail if the camera records conversations and video inside the car.<\/p>\n

Stalking<\/h3>\n

Not all stolen camera footage is the result of attacks by professional cybercriminals looking to profit from it. Sometimes, stalkers hack webcams to spy on specific people \u2014 often someone they know. For example, in 2025 a case came to light in which a man had been spying<\/a> on his colleagues for years through their home IP cameras. All of the victims were women, who had no idea they were being watched.<\/p>\n

In another case, a man monitored<\/a> his ex-wife and daughter through an intercom system and IP cameras. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was spying on his own family, and even sent his daughter screenshots from the webcam. As a result, she eventually had to move away.<\/p>\n

Why does this happen?<\/h2>\n

Neglecting basic cybersecurity rules<\/h3>\n

This is probably the main reason IP cameras get hacked. Most users never change the factory-default passwords on their routers, smart devices, or the apps connected to them. Such passwords are essentially public knowledge. They often use simple combinations such as \u201cadmin\/admin\u201d or \u201croot\/1234\u201d, which are known worldwide and can be guessed in a matter of seconds \u2014 no sophisticated algorithm is required. This is exactly what recently allowed attackers to hack 120,000 cameras<\/a> in South Korea.<\/p>\n

Irresponsible camera manufacturers<\/h3>\n

Even when manufacturers give assurances that camera data is stored only locally, in practice this is often far from the truth. For example, in 2022 researchers discovered that one popular range of video cameras sent snapshots to the manufacturer\u2019s server every time a person appeared in the frame<\/a>. And that wasn\u2019t all: remote access to all cameras\u2019 recordings was available through URLs generated in a predictable way \u2014 making them relatively easy to generate or guess.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the company claimed that its cameras used end-to-end encryption, stored recordings exclusively on the device, and didn\u2019t transmit data to external servers. Incidentally, the supposedly \u201csecure encryption\u201d was implemented using a fixed key that was identical for every user. And the key itself could easily be found in the source code published by the manufacturer.<\/p>\n

In short, if a device has a lens and Wi-Fi, be prepared for the possibility that sooner or later a serious security flaw will be discovered in it.<\/p>\n

Search engines for vulnerable devices are becoming increasingly popular<\/h3>\n

To access a camera, an attacker often only needs to know its IP address and try a handful of common passwords. There are search engines that index not websites, but devices and their open ports: webcams, routers, industrial controllers, medical equipment \u2014 you name it.<\/p>\n

If an IP camera requires no username and password, or is \u201cprotected\u201d by the default \u201cadmin\/admin\u201d credentials, it may easily be discovered and added to the database of an OSINT service. Journalists and researchers have used such services to find publicly accessible cameras in children\u2019s rooms, offices, hospital operating rooms, banks, and shops.<\/p>\n

So what can you do?<\/h2>\n

What can you do at home or in a small office without a dedicated security team? These five simple recommendations can help.<\/p>\n

1. Research the manufacturer<\/h3>\n

When choosing an IP camera model, make sure you check whether cameras from that manufacturer have been hacked before \u2014 for example, by searching for \u201cIP camera hack manufacturer name<\/em>\u201c. Then visit the Support section of the manufacturer\u2019s website and check the date of the most recent firmware update both for the model you are considering and older models.<\/p>\n

If you find that firmware has not been updated for more than six months, or that updates are released irregularly, you may want to choose a different model. Most cameras run specialized embedded versions of Linux, and more than 2,300 vulnerabilities were recorded in the Linux kernel in the first six months of 2026 alone. If a manufacturer fails to update its firmware regularly, sooner or later a security hole is almost certain to appear in its cameras.<\/p>\n

Consider models from major manufacturers if you don\u2019t want to end up with a whole collection of vulnerabilities and virtually no chance of them ever being patched. Cheap cameras from obscure companies with limited functionality and weak protection can ultimately cost you dearly.<\/p>\n

2. Disable unnecessary features<\/h3>\n

The fewer third-party cloud storage services involved in your surveillance system, the better. When choosing a camera, look for a microSD card slot, or support for a home network-attached storage device (NAS), so you can store all recordings locally.<\/p>\n

Ideally, the camera should be able to operate entirely within your local network without transmitting data to the cloud or the manufacturer\u2019s servers \u2014 with viewing available over the LAN or through a secure connection<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to your home or office.<\/p>\n

When buying other smart home appliances, consider whether you really need a built-in camera in, say, a smart TV, smart speaker<\/a>, robot vacuum<\/a>, or automatic pet feeder<\/a>. Each and every one of these devices expands the potential attack surface.<\/p>\n

After buying an IP camera, go through its settings \u2014 usually available in the manufacturer\u2019s app or through the camera\u2019s web interface \u2014 and disable anything you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n