NSA Spying Scandal: How To Keep Your IP Cameras Feeds Protected

Everyone knows that the National Security Agency (NSA) has been spying on people all over the world, but not everyone knows that they can use tools to remotely turn on IP cameras and watch everything that it can see. This not only highlights a problem with privacy laws but also posits a very real threat when crooks or terrorists are able to reverse-engineer the software used to peek into your IP cam.

This ultimately means that you have to step up and take a more active role in protecting your video feeds. These tips ought to help you do just that:

Look For Video Encryption And Secure Connections

The very first thing you need to do to ensure the security of your IP camera feed is to use models that encrypt videos and transmit these videos via a secure connection. Encryption will scramble the video data, making the feed illegible without the right ‘key’ that is stored in the destination page. You will also need to use a camera that transmits videos via a secure connection. Wireless IP cameras will do this using security measures like WPA2. It is also important that the websites showing the camera feed start with HTTPS as this denotes a more secured connection compared to ordinary HTTP websites.

Use A Very Strong Password

Virtually all IP video camera setups let you set a password to challenge anyone attempting to access or view the live feed. Do not, under any circumstances, forget to set a password. Make sure the password you use is strong as well. Use at least 10 characters in a mixture of numbers, lower-case letters, upper-case letters and a symbol or two. Make sure the password itself has nothing to do with information people can find out about you. This includes but is not limited to names, birthdates, significant others or even project ideas.

Avoid Using Insecure Phone Apps

Many IP cameras have complementary applications for smartphone operating systems like iOS or Android. These apps may make it convenient for you to view your IP cam feed while on the go, but you have to be very careful with the app itself. These apps may not have the same security features that a secured website has, and may allow others to capture vital log-in information. The safest bet here is to use the browser on your phone to manually visit the website of your camera feed.

Disconnect The IP Camera System When Not In Use

Simply turning off your IP cameras won’t do. The only sure-fire way to prevent any images from being transmitted is to disconnect the camera from its power source. This is not always a practical thing to do, especially for a wireless IP security camera setup that needs to be on at all times, but it can prove to be very useful for those that use their cameras for personal reasons.