Almost all modern devices for accessing the global network have built-in webcam for taking pictures and chatting on Skype. Of course, the presence of a camera in laptops and various gadgets is very useful and convenient, but with its help a hacker-intruder can easily get access to your personal data.
The special services also have the technical ability to control webcams of laptops and smartphones. Thanks to special programs, any third-party person can connect to yours at any time. webcam and spy on you.
Naturally, for such surveillance, one must have special skills, including some representations O programming And cyber security, therefore, you should not suspect all your acquaintances of espionage, however, if you have serious reasons to fear such surveillance, you should know how you can protect yourself in this case.
The principle of operation of hackers is quite simple: a special spyware, infiltrating the system , activates the camera , bypasses the built - in security system and sends the received data to the owner of the program .
If you have a removable camera installed, then just remove it from the socket, or seal it with tape - a simple but effective way.
The camera LED on when video chat programs are not running is another danger signal. It is necessary to turn off the camera and run an anti-virus program to scan for Trojans.
Also, similar programs can be seen in the Windows Task Manager. Do not forget about the elementary rules of computer security: do not install suspicious programs from the Internet, do not turn off the Windows firewall unless absolutely necessary, and regularly check the anti-virus databases for updates.
In the latest versions of KIS ( Kaspersky Internet Security) there is an option to protect the webcam from hacking - when an application tries to activate the camera, KIS protection will immediately warn about it.
You can also use utilities that block access to the camera when the user is not using it. One of them is CamBlocker- a simple application with the ability to access the webcam with a password and a notification of an attempt unauthorized access . CamBlocker has simple settings and can be launched along with the operating system.
A smartphone also allows you to conduct covert surveillance of its owner, both using a camera and a built-in microphone, as well as some other devices that are an integral part of the system - such as a GPS navigator.
Surveillance through gadgets is used not only by hackers and intelligence agencies, but also by smartphone manufacturers themselves, who collect personal data of owners for their own statistics or transmission interested persons .
To protect your smartphone, only allow apps from trusted sources to access your data. Limit the rights of installed programs, especially destined to create photos and videos or navigation. If you are not sure about the reliability of a particular program, then it is better to remove it immediately.
Who Hacks Webcams?
A big misconception is that special services are monitoring users. This option is possible if you are a well-known person. By the way, not so long ago there was a case when opposition activists in Syria were monitored through webcams. There was a big scandal that forced the developer of one program to curtail the development of the product. Otherwise, peeping is fun for schoolchildren or scammers.
The network is full of thematic forums and groups on social networks, where they talk in detail about hacking a webcam. Mostly children settle there, for the sake of fun, hacking into unprotected PCs and posting the captured video to the public. It does not bring dividends, but the ego amuses. There are those who are trying to sell a record or login data. The web is full of web portals with similar offers. Is it difficult to access the webcam?
Almost all hacks are the fault of the owners, who voluntarily open the entrance to the device. It is impossible to manage a webcam without a program for remote access installed on the final PC, which can be either a point one - only to the webcam, or a full-fledged one - to the entire system.
If you download dubious software and open strange links that, at first glance, do nothing, then the risk of catching a Trojan to connect to a webcam is high. The principles of social engineering work perfectly, in which the user voluntarily allows an outsider to install malicious software on his PC or open access to the camera.
The hacker's task is to install a special utility on your computer: TeamViewer;
and others. This can be done openly or covertly. With the open option, you will have to somehow convince the victim to voluntarily install the software and open access. With the stealth option, you will have to dig into the code so that the installation and confirmation windows do not appear on the screen. How to avoid webcam hacking Install an antivirus. Any good software will immediately notice that they are trying to connect to the webcam remotely, and will display a warning on the monitor. It is practically impossible to bypass such protection;
Turn on the firewall. Even the standard Windows firewall does not allow you to take control of your PC over the network. All suspicious traffic is suspended until the Administrator gives the go-ahead. We recommend watching the thematic video: Do not install unverified software. Most often, attackers distribute malicious code through ordinary, at first glance, harmless programs. If the utility is not downloaded from an official source, the probability of getting infected is very high;
Do not follow suspicious links. Fraudsters are regularly operating in messengers and social networks, spreading links to viruses. Even if a friend sends a link with a request to watch/download, make sure that a real friend did it;
Tape up your webcam. Masking tape or duct tape will save voyeurs from the picture, which means that there will be no point in following you. Now manufacturers are producing special shutters and even entire laptops with latches that cover the lens. Try not to close the indicator - if you are connected, it will light up. Turn off the webcam. Go to Device Manager and turn off your webcam if you rarely use it. At the same time, turn off the microphone, because you can be eavesdropped. You can also use a special keyboard shortcut on a laptop (most often it is Fn + F12). None of the methods guarantee 100% protection. With a careful approach, a hacker will be able to bypass any protection except duct tape. But, again, the question remains with the sound. Malicious code is able to inject its settings into the system and turn on disabled devices, so even a complete shutdown will not protect the owner. Useful content: Flashlight apps for Android that will "put out" your phone
In November 2015, ESET said that 25% of Russian users are afraid of hacking the computer's webcam and other devices. seal the built-in cameras with electrical tape. "Paranoia" has become an occasion for jokes on the Internet. However, it's completely wrong.
At the end of April 2016, a new mass hacking of webcams in Russia became known. The hacker did not just follow the victims, but turned their lives into a reality show, which he broadcast live on YouTube.
The attacker gained access to users' computers and controlled them using the LuminosityLink remote administration utility. When the victims looked at the screen, the hacker turned on non-traditional pornographic videos and showed the victim's VKontakte page. After that, the viewers of the broadcast began a large-scale persecution.
Paradoxically, most users did not react in any way to the actions of the hacker, it seems that they did not even understand what was happening. Some tried to turn on the antivirus, after which the hacker added the program to the list of prohibited from running.
It has not yet been possible to establish the identity of the perpetrator, the hacking mechanism is unknown. According to some reports, the cause was an infected free program for downloading videos from the Internet MediaGet - viewers of the broadcast noted that it was installed on most of the computers of the victims. 
Such incidents happen regularly. We're talking about known hacks in the US and UK. In the latter case, the hacker received 20 weeks of probation and 200 hours of community service.
The prospect of criminal prosecution does not stop attackers. The BlackShades Trojan they commonly use can be obtained from private forums. The program is easy to learn, which is used by novice hackers who hack webcams for fun. In some cases, scammers go further and sell stolen photos and videos or use them for blackmail.
However, not only webcams of PCs and laptops are under threat. Smartphones have their risks. In October 2015, a bug became known that affects 90% of Android devices. The bug opens access to the microphone, camera, and hard drive - for this, it is enough to send the user an MMS with a malicious video file. A patch to fix the vulnerability was released almost immediately, but security experts from Exodus claimed that Stagefright was still usable.
Typically, malware requests access to the smartphone's camera under the guise of legitimate applications. Even for an experienced user, it is not easy to distinguish the original from the fake, so it is important to download applications only on Google Play. It is also worth checking which applications have access to the smartphone's camera, and disable them at the slightest doubt.
However, even these measures do not guarantee. Only a comprehensive solution for smartphones and tablets will provide reliable protection for the camera of an Android device. 
The latest Smart TVs are just as vulnerable to hackers as PCs and mobile devices. To install a malicious application on such a TV, a hacker must gain remote access to the device or trick the user into installing spyware. The most common way of infection is by going to a malicious page on the Internet from the device screen.
The main recommendations for protecting Smart TV remain the same: legitimate software, firewall on the router and antivirus on the PC. An additional measure is the differentiation of access rights for each application, if the TV supports this function.
How to protect your webcam from hacking:
- Install a reliable antivirus, update it in a timely manner and do not disable it under any circumstances; use a firewall
- Update the operating system, browser, main applications and webcam drivers on your devices; google possible vulnerabilities of a specific model
- Do not connect to passwordless Wi-Fi networks; ignore messages and emails from unknown senders, especially if they contain suspicious links and attachments
- Download free programs only from the manufacturer's website
- Install on all devices with cameras and Internet access, including baby monitors and CCTV cameras
- Always change the factory security settings on all devices (computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, webcam, router, etc.)
- Pay attention to the webcam activity indicators and check its settings if it turns on not only during video calls
- If you consider yourself an advanced user, disable the webcam in hardware (How to disable the webcam?)
A webcam is an essential attribute of any modern laptop. With it, you can chat on Skype, create video conferences and take photos. Built-in cameras are enabled by default, and there are several ways to check if they are ready for use.
Make sure the camcorder is installed on your laptop. It is located in the upper part above the screen - this is a small peephole and an LED next to it. Most often, problems arise due to the fact that the mobile camera is simply turned off or there is no USB connection from an external device. Let's use the following methods:
- a combination of pressing the Fn + V buttons (marked with a blue camera icon) on the keyboard. This combination is standard on all mobile PCs. As a result, the camera should appear on the taskbar. If this does not happen, then the problem is in the driver or device malfunction;
- camera check online. To do this, go to the page of any site that performs such a service. Launch the application and the “Allow” button will appear on the screen, turn it on and see. This indicates the health of the camera;
- turn on the camera in specialized Skype or Movie Maker applications.
System health check
Having opened the device manager, we will see what status the laptop webcam is in, the status of its driver and possible malfunctions. It is accessed like this:
In the device manager we find our camera or the "Imaging devices" tab.
There are three options for further development of events:
- the webcam is not detected by the computer. This happens due to a hardware failure or problems with connecting an external camera. We fix the flaw and update the page;
- the device is not recognized, but there is unknown equipment in its place that needs to be connected. Information about this may be duplicated on the taskbar in the lower right corner of the screen. The problem is solved by installing the necessary driver or updating the old one;
- The webcam is recognized, but there is an exclamation point icon in a yellow triangle next to it - a malfunction. An arrow in a circle means a shutdown in the operating system.
Interesting! The driver is installed from the official website of the laptop manufacturer. There is no separate webcam driver for it, it is installed along with a Windows update.
Common webcam errors
A disabled camera in the device manager is activated by clicking "Enable" in the menu that will appear after right-clicking on the selected camera.
The error in the work is corrected by clicking "Delete" and restarting the laptop. If this does not help, then reinstall the driver.
If these measures do not help, you should contact the service center to repair the camera.
Most laptops are already factory equipped with special programs for . These can be Asus ECam Utility, HP Cyberlink YouCam, Lenovo EasyCapture and others. All of them have a clear interface and are designed for a novice user. Removing them does not lead to loss of device camera performance.
Video - How to turn on the video camera on a laptop
Hi all! Today we’ll talk about how to protect the webcam of a home computer and laptop. In the future, in continuation of this article, I am going to write about protecting the webcam on mobile devices: smartphones and tablets. Therefore, in order not to miss it, I recommend subscribing to our page on VKontakte, Twitter and other social networks.
The article will consider all possible ways, from the simplest to the most complex. I will try to explain in an easy way, without using scary computer terms, so that everyone, even a person who knows little about computers, can understand and apply the methods and recommendations described in this article.
From this article you will learn:
- How an attacker gains access to a webcam.
- Protect your webcam by disabling the device in Device Manager.
- Webcam protection using programs.
- Protecting your webcam with Anti-camfecting Kaspersky
- Webcam protection with Cam Blocker.
- Protecting an external webcam by disabling.
- We protect the webcam with the help of gluing.
How does an attacker gain access to a webcam?
Let's first understand how you can access your camera. Programs that access your camera are called Trojan (Trojan horse), such programs are also called RAT. RAT spyware can access all of your computer's resources. We wrote in detail about RAT spyware and how to protect yourself from them in the article "".
There are other completely legal programs that can access a webcam and broadcast video to the Internet. One of these programs is called, it is not a RAT, not a virus, it is a common utility that allows you to connect to the camera in stealth mode.
The Trojan can activate the computer's webcam. With the help of API calls and the DirectShow filter, video can be extracted and secretly sent to the network.
It works like this:
- Using an API call and a webcam driver, the program can activate the device and start the video recording process.
- Through the API and the DirectShow filter, the recording enters the processing program.
- The spyware receives information from the video stream through the interface or directly and passes it on to the attacker.
Webcam protection using programs
Now that you've learned how hackers activate your webcam, I want to talk about security. Let's start with an overview of the webcam protection program.
Protection with Anti-Camfecting Kaspersky
Disabling the webcam in device manager
Pressing the start button brings up the menu. In the menu, point to the inscription Computer with the left mouse button, call up the context menu, in which we click on Properties 
In the window that appears, go to the tab device Manager and clicking on the Image Processing Device we find our webcam.
By right-clicking, we call up the context menu in which we select Disable.
How to disable webcam in device manager In the same way, you can enable a disabled webcam.
Protecting your webcam by disabling
If you are not using an external camera, I advise you to disconnect the webcam from your computer while you are not using it.
In extreme cases, if there is no desire to constantly climb into the system unit, I recommend at least turning the camera away from you, towards the wall or ceiling.
This is not the most convenient way, but the easiest. This method is especially relevant on laptops where an internal camera is installed. The disadvantage of this method is that every time you need to use the camera, you have to peel off the adhesive tape.
If you are still going to protect the webcam in this way, I advise you to use a patch from corns and cuts instead of the usual adhesive tape that stains the camera's eye. Such patches do not have adhesive material in the middle, instead, a piece of clean bandage, which in contact with the surface of the webcam, does not leave adhesive material and does not stain it.
I have listed all methods known to me. Each of the above methods has its pros and cons. Now it remains only to decide how to protect the webcam.
