One method hackers and cyber thieves use is to get access to your laptop through the camera. The FBI has posted a notice on its website advising you to tape over the camera on your laptop for security reasons. It is one method of spying on you, which may jeopardize your security on many levels.
Webcam spying
While the proliferation of cameras on mobile devices and televisions is a step in the right direction, it also provides a means of spying on you. According to www.howtogeek.com, a school in the United States of America barely avoided prosecution when a student sued for covertly spying on pupils on a school-issued laptop. This is a significant issue since you never know where the spy is or what their goals are. Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA has systems in place that have successfully gained backdoor access to cameras on iPhones and BlackBerries.
Software firms have been successful in developing systems capable of spying on you. They are capable of overriding the webcam’s light and recording your every motion without your awareness.
Excellent practice
While concealing the camera on your laptop is not required, it is good practice since you never know who may be watching. The majority of individuals believe they are secure since they have not linked their laptops to the internet. Certain spyware has been designed to snoop on you even when you are not online.
Hackers just give you programming projects in the form of an .exe file, which you dismiss as ineffective due to its lack of functionality. It is undetected, and it has the potential to spy on you to the point of identity theft and other severe cybercrime.
Extortion
According to www.engadget.com, the BBC published a piece on the necessity of covering your laptop’s camera, prompted by Cassidy Wolf’s tale. A year before she was crowned Miss Teen USA, a student at her high school hacked her webcam and stole incriminating pictures of her in her bedroom. She became aware of the breach when he gained access to her social media accounts and began extorting money from her. He had surreptitiously photographed 11 more females and was trying to extort money from them as well.
Always cover your laptop’s camera unless you’re using it for communication purposes, such as video chats on Skype. Mark Zuckerberg and the FBI director are both proponents of this cause. You never know who may be keeping an eye on you.