4 ms·

I suppose. The underlying problem is still greater, though, than someone seeing you having sex. Someone getting unauthorized access to your webcam, I'd imagin

by capote 10y ago

I suppose. The underlying problem is still greater, though, than someone seeing you having sex. Someone getting unauthorized access to your webcam, I'd imagine, has the ability and skill to do much worse than look at you naked (which, on the other hand, would be problematic to me because my body is flabby and unattractive). Wouldn't a better solution be software-based, or some more advanced hardware (like added network security)? But this picture is taken at an office, where presumably sex isn't happening, and anything confidential will likely not be in large font on a sheet of paper held up in front of a camera that is presumed inactive.

Jemmeh 10y ago
That would cost money, as opposed to 1¢ of tape doing the same job.
- capote 10y ago
  1¢ of tape solves the issue of someone gaining unauthorized access to the CEO of Facebook's laptop? I think not.
  - zeta0134 10y ago
    Unauthorized access to the laptop is a very different thing than the user (Mark Zuckerberg, in this case) browsing to a website that utilized a camera API, or accidentally clicking Allow, or being caught by some weakness in the Flash API without realizing it. He's probably also got all sorts of other protections on that laptop, but having an extra $0.01 bit of security never hurts. I think microphones are more dangerous actually; it's hard to glean much meaningful data from most webcam streams (besides perhaps some less than flattering pictures of the user) but a microphone can pick up all sorts of confidential conversations.
    - capote 10y ago
      I always thought that problem was solved by the little light next to the camera turning on when the camera is on. And if the light doesn't turn on, it's likely something more problematic is happening.
      - Jemmeh 10y ago
        If you can hack someone's camera, you can make it so the camera turns on without turning on the light and letting people know you're watching and listening.
        dogma1138 10y ago
        That's somewhat correct, on many cameras today that light is in line with the power to the sensor (IIRC this is the case on the new Macbooks) so as soon as it gets out of standby mode it is on so you can't hack that. The microphone is another story.
        capote 10y ago
        That's what I meant by "something more problematic is happening." If a hacker can turn on Mark Zuckerberg's camera without having the light turn on, then there's a big problem, and it needs to be rectified to a greater extent than just covering up the camera.
        Jemmeh 10y ago
        Again with the security is not a 1-fix kind of thing. You put a lot of measures in place to make things secure. This is just one of many security measures that should be in place. The enemy has breached the outer wall, but now we have 3 more inner walls protecting the most important stuff that they also have to breach. And tape over the mic and webcam aren't really things that can be broken through remotely.
        capote 10y ago
        This makes sense. I guess I was pointing things out just to point them out.
  - Jemmeh 10y ago
    I would think conversations would be the biggest thing in this case. Say this computer is in a meeting room-- you could get business details picked up on the microphone, and the camera would verify who was speaking. There are many details in a business that you don't necessarily want public. Computer security is not an all or nothing thing. It's more like plugging lots of little holes in a boat. This plugs the "microphone and camera" security hole very cheaply and simply.
Esau 10y ago
It is a real issue and there are people out there looking to use people's webcams for spying: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/rat-breeders-meet-the-men-who-spy-on-women-through-their-webcams/ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/rat-breeders-meet...
- DanBC 10y ago
  Yes, but if they can make you install malware that gives them access to your webcam they can then go on to install software that gives them access to any online banking you do. Taping over the webcam stops access to the camera, but does nothing about the rootkits and keyloggers that are giving criminal gangs access to all your online accounts.

by capote 10y ago

Jemmeh 10y ago

That would cost money, as opposed to 1¢ of tape doing the same job.

capote 10y ago
1¢ of tape solves the issue of someone gaining unauthorized access to the CEO of Facebook's laptop? I think not.
- zeta0134 10y ago
  Unauthorized access to the laptop is a very different thing than the user (Mark Zuckerberg, in this case) browsing to a website that utilized a camera API, or accidentally clicking Allow, or being caught by some weakness in the Flash API without realizing it. He's probably also got all sorts of other protections on that laptop, but having an extra $0.01 bit of security never hurts. I think microphones are more dangerous actually; it's hard to glean much meaningful data from most webcam streams (besides perhaps some less than flattering pictures of the user) but a microphone can pick up all sorts of confidential conversations.
  - capote 10y ago
    I always thought that problem was solved by the little light next to the camera turning on when the camera is on. And if the light doesn't turn on, it's likely something more problematic is happening.
    - Jemmeh 10y ago
      If you can hack someone's camera, you can make it so the camera turns on without turning on the light and letting people know you're watching and listening.
      - dogma1138 10y ago
        That's somewhat correct, on many cameras today that light is in line with the power to the sensor (IIRC this is the case on the new Macbooks) so as soon as it gets out of standby mode it is on so you can't hack that. The microphone is another story.
      - capote 10y ago
        That's what I meant by "something more problematic is happening." If a hacker can turn on Mark Zuckerberg's camera without having the light turn on, then there's a big problem, and it needs to be rectified to a greater extent than just covering up the camera.
        Jemmeh 10y ago
        Again with the security is not a 1-fix kind of thing. You put a lot of measures in place to make things secure. This is just one of many security measures that should be in place. The enemy has breached the outer wall, but now we have 3 more inner walls protecting the most important stuff that they also have to breach. And tape over the mic and webcam aren't really things that can be broken through remotely.
        capote 10y ago
        This makes sense. I guess I was pointing things out just to point them out.
- Jemmeh 10y ago
  I would think conversations would be the biggest thing in this case. Say this computer is in a meeting room-- you could get business details picked up on the microphone, and the camera would verify who was speaking. There are many details in a business that you don't necessarily want public. Computer security is not an all or nothing thing. It's more like plugging lots of little holes in a boat. This plugs the "microphone and camera" security hole very cheaply and simply.

Esau 10y ago

It is a real issue and there are people out there looking to use people's webcams for spying: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/rat-breeders-meet-the-men-who-spy-on-women-through-their-webcams/ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/rat-breeders-meet...

DanBC 10y ago
Yes, but if they can make you install malware that gives them access to your webcam they can then go on to install software that gives them access to any online banking you do. Taping over the webcam stops access to the camera, but does nothing about the rootkits and keyloggers that are giving criminal gangs access to all your online accounts.