A few years ago a website called Insecam.com created a directory of more than 73,000 unsecured security cameras around the globe. Today, the United States has about 5,600 unsecured security cameras, the most of any nation in the world. Washington, D.C., had the second highest density of these devices, with 5.80 cameras per 100,000 residents.
Okay, wait. What are unsecured security cameras, and why do they matter?
First, it’s important to note that “unsecured security cameras” is just a really, really awful turn of phrase, so we’re going to start using the alternative wording, open cameras. In short, these are any security camera feed that is publicly accessible, whether intentional or not.
Today, many businesses utilize business surveillance systems. But these CCTV camera solutions operate on a closed system (CCTV stands for closed circuit television) by definition. However, with the world turning increasingly to digital technologies, many people would be surprised to learn that their business security camera system is publicly available.
While some of these open cameras were designed to be open to the public, others are simply run by a network administrator who never bothered to set up password protection, or more likely, didn’t know that was necessary.
As people switch from CCTV security cameras to digital options, you can expect the number of open camera feeds to keep increasing.
Ironically, the team behind the open camera project did it to raise awareness of digital privacy issues. Instead, they ended up putting a bunch of people’s private camera feeds online, a major invasion of privacy. Since going online in 2014, the directory has more than 75,000 open camera feeds available streaming online, making it a voyeur’s dream come true. Sure, most of the feeds show nothing more interesting than drying paint, but the sheer number of accidentally public security cameras is mind boggling.
The entire project just goes to show that the biggest threat to business security systems will always be good old fashioned human error.
Don’t compromise your own security by screwing up basic password protocol. Remember: set up your password, don’t use “password” as your password, and change your passwords every three months.
