Hackers and online predators have been using baby monitors in order to exploit children and strike fear to parents. Recently, the Department of Consumers Affairs (DCA) in New York issued a warning against the security vulnerabilities of some WiFi-enabled cameras that can put your child at risk of being watched by strangers lurking on the Internet.
"Video monitors are intended to give parents peace of mind when they are away from their children, but the reality is quite terrifying," Julie Menin, DCA Commissioner, said on a statement. "If they aren't secure, they can provide easy access for predators to watch and even speak to our children.
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission echoed the same warning to parents whose houses, especially their children's rooms, are equipped with security cameras, reported the BBC. The agency has probed five baby monitors and found four of them that have serious security issues.
According to reports, the hackers have been stealing video feeds from home security cameras and baby monitors to be streamed on the Internet. However, in some instances, the hackers have used the cameras in order to shout rude and abusive comments to the children.
Last year, a hacker who was able to infiltrate a baby camera in a home in Indiana played the song "Every Breath You Take" by The Police followed by "sexual noises. In 2013, a family in Houston were abruptly woken up after an online predator hacked into their daughter's monitor and yelled "wake up, you little slut," to a two-year-old kid, according to Forbes.
The city of New York is launching an investigation starting with the companies that manufacture the baby monitors that supposedly keeps the child safe from harm. In the past week, the DCA has issued subpoenas to four companies that will remain unnamed for now. The consumer protection group aims to demand information about their products' security practices including encryption, history of customer complaints and similar security vulnerability, timeliness of the release of software patches, etc.
Commissioner Menin told Wired that if the company was found guilty of neglecting their duty to protect their customers, the agency will be issuing a fine for "deceptive marketing practices." She explained that parents purchase the cameras in order to make sure that their children are safe, but these devices have been a tool used to abuse the people they ought to protect.
For now, parents must make sure that their cameras are secure by using a complex password. They must also check the device's security system before allowing it to their homes.
