Millions of IP cameras around the world are unprotected

Date:
Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:01:45 +0000

Description:
Research shows nobody seems concerned about where IP cameras come from, or
the security measures placed on them.

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Over 3.5 million active Chinese-manufactured IP cameras are only protected by a vendors default password , or lacking protection altogether, putting users at risk of snooping, experts have warned..

New research from CyberNews found over 458,000 devices protected only by default credentials operational in the US alone, alongside almost 250,000 in the United Kingdom, with countries such as Mexico, China, the Korean
Republic, India, Brazil and Russia also appearing on the list.

At least 21,000 cameras worldwide lack any authentication whatsoever, raising questions about invasions of privacy , and the impact IP cameras are having
on the global uptick in cyberwarfare . Security camera passwords

All devices connected to the internet are in danger of being accessed by unknown and potentially malicious third parties. In the case of security cameras, threat actors can access the live feed, record sensitive personal data, and use the camera as a vulnerable endpoint on a network.

Researchers for CyberNews are concerned that all brands of camera it came across in its analysis have products in circulation that are permitted to function without changing the default password, or without one at all. These include Hikvision, HIPCam, Cisco, Toshiba, and Linksys.

Its not all bad news, though. The most popular camera manufacturers latest products are programmed, either by model or firmware version, to force users to set a password, or generate a unique one at random.

96.4% of the cameras CyberNews examined belonged to these brands, but its worth highlighting that this doesnt mean that 96% of connected cameras are benefitting from an uptick in protection.

Hardware devices often age, are depreciated by the manufacturer, and become ineligible for firmware updates, which can also push security patches. The vast majority of connected IP cameras arent going to be the newest models mandating, or at least recommending, healthy password security practices.

Where we are now is certainly an improvement from the results of CyberNews research on this same topic last year, which found that only 5.3% of cameras mandated setting a password.

The world is gravitating towards cyberwarfare in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Chinas growing reputation as a surveillance supplier, with ransomware and DDoS attacks becoming especially common.

With that, there are growing fears surrounding how devices from popular IP camera brands, such as Chinas Hikvision, could be used by state-sponsored threat actors.

CyberNews reported that, until at least December 2022, Hikvision advertised demographic profiling facial analysis algorithms as part of its products on the companys website, but that following an investigation by The Guardian , the ads were removed.

Some western democracies have resisted the growing influence of foreign surveillance technology better than others in recent years. Read more

Heres our list of the best home security systems right now

Wi-Fi security flaws could let drones, attackers target you through walls

The journey to passwordless it's a marathon, not a sprint

In July 2019, the UKs then-Prime Minister Theresa May backed down from her plan to allow Chinese company Huawei to assist in developing the countrys 5G infrastructure following US pressure. And in September 2020, The Guardian reported that Hikvision cameras, blacklisted in the US, were installed in UK leisure centres and, alarmingly, school toilets.

Things are, however, moving in the right direction.

In November 2022, the UK banned Chinese surveillance equipment from sensitive government sites, while the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
adopted rules preventing communications equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to national security from being imported or sold in the country. Check out our list of the best firewalls right now



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/millions-of-ip-cameras-around-the-world-are-unp rotected


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