http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_099193700.html
Apr 9, 2005
Minneapolis (WCCO) - Web cams are now inside millions of homes,
allowing friends and family to chat face to face.
But, they could also be opening up private homes to prying eyes.
Web cams capture everyday images: a teen coming home from school, a
family pet or college students working in a computer lab.
Thousands of pictures like these are now easily accessible on the
Internet, raising issues of personal privacy.
"The thing that's concerning about this is that anybody could be
looking at people through these Web cams," said Annalee Newitz of the
Electronic Frontier Foundation. "These people's pictures are being
released everywhere all over the world."
Web cams have unique Internet addresses, much like web pages, and most
cameras use similar patterns and codes, which are no secret to cyber
snoopers.
"All they need to find these cameras is a few letters and numbers that
are typical of the Web pages where these cameras are found," Newitz
said.
With the help of almost any search engine, someone can find thousands
of links to live camera feeds. Many are harmless scenes like a bird's
nest, but we found private documents lying on someone's desk.
Sometimes, you can even take control of a stranger's Web cam. We
zoomed right into someone's window.
Jared Johnson said he uses a Web cam to keep tabs on his dog when he's
not home. He said he's appalled by the idea that strangers could peer
into his private life.
"You're exposing yourself, your life, your business and your house,"
Johnson said.
So, Johnson is doing everything he can to protect his camera. He uses
a firewall and password, the same security features he uses with his
computer.
Taking simple security measures is crucial, according to Frederick
Nilsson of Axis Communications, a leading manufacturer of Web cams.
"The cameras have the built-in security features such as the password
protection and the firewalls, etc., and it's up to the user to use
them or choose not to use them," Nilsson said.
Legal experts said laws regarding these types of technologies are
murky and that Web cam owners usually have few legal options if they
feel violated.
"After all, the person who setup the Web cam put it on the Internet
and left it in a position where you could access it with either the
default password or no password at all," lawyer Jennifer Granick said.
But, Johnson isn't worried since his camera is secure. He said there's
no reason to leave yourself open for all eyes to see.
"That's something that can be solved so simply," Johnson said. "Take
the extra steps to learn how to secure it."
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