The IP security camera industry has blossomed over the past few years. From consumer-grade home IP security cameras from a security camera warehouse provider, such as those from FLIR, to professional-grade models, the technology is getting easier to use and more people are installing cameras to watch their property and even their pets. As with most tech solutions, however, home security video setups are increasingly targeted by hackers and bots.
Protect yourself by following some common-sense security-hardening procedures.
Update Your Camera’s Firmware
Most modern IP security cameras feature user-upgradeable firmware. If a security vulnerability is found, the IP security camera manufacturer will often fix the vulnerability by issuing a firmware update. Usually, you can update your camera’s firmware from the admin console through a web browser.
You should frequently check your IP security camera manufacturer’s website for updated firmware so that you can make sure the version you are using doesn’t contain an unpatched vulnerability that could be exploited by hackers and online voyeurs.
Keep Your Cameras Local
If you don’t want your camera feeds to end up on the internet, then don’t connect them to the internet.
If privacy is your top priority then you should keep your cameras on a local network and assign them non-routable internal IP addresses (i.e 192.168.0.5 or something similar). Even with non-routable IP addresses, your cameras could still be exposed by camera software that sets up port forwarding or uses UPNP to expose your cameras to the internet. Check your IP camera’s website to learn how to set up your cameras in local-only mode.
Assign Passwords to Your Cameras
Many IP cameras don’t have password protection turned on by default. However, some people forget to add password protection after the initial setup and end up leaving the cameras wide open for all to access.
Most cameras offer at least some form of basic authentication. It may not be super robust, but at least it is better than nothing at all. Protect your camera feeds with a username and a strong password and be sure to change it periodically.
Rename the Default Admin Account and Set a New Admin Password
Your camera’s default admin name and password, set by the manufacturer, is usually available by visiting their website and going to the support section for your camera model. If you haven’t changed the admin name and password then even the most novice hacker can look up the default password and view your feeds or take control of your camera.
If Your Camera Is Wireless, Turn on WPA2 Encryption
If your camera is wirelessly capable, you should only join it to a WPA2-encrypted wireless network so that wireless eavesdroppers can’t connect to it and access your video feeds.
Don’t Place IP Cameras Where They Don’t Belong
Don’t put an IP security camera inside areas of your house where you wouldn’t feel comfortable being seen by strangers. Even if you think you’ve secured your cameras in every way possible, there is always the possibility of getting blind-sided by a Zero-Day vulnerability that hasn’t been found by your manufacturer yet.