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Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
October 7, 2016

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Hacking

Watch how to hack a security camera. It’s alarmingly simple

For decades CCTV has been deployed with great success in the fight against crime.

But if security cameras have long been a reliable means of catching people in the act of breaking and entering, the advent of IP surveillance means that criminals can now turn the tables on those who operate the cameras. They can ‘break and enter’ onto networks via the camera itself.

In the video below, Sophos researcher James Lyne shows you how to hack a security camera. It’s alarmingly easy and should concentrate minds in the security industry – and that that applies to manufacturers, installers and CCTV operators alike.

No wonder the cyber threat to CCTV systems has been in the news a lot recently. Last week around 1.5m IoT devices – mostly security cameras – were hijacked during a DDoS attack. And the BSIA CCTV section recently urged operators of IP-connected surveillance systems to do more to safeguard their systems against cyber attack, including changing the manufacturer’s default credentials.

A Times investigation, meanwhile, reported concerns from MI6 about the threat to national security from IP-connected CCTV systems. In response to that story, Hanwha Techwin sought to reassure its customers that it was doing enough to repel attacks and called for collaboration across the supply chain.

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HARRY ELLIOT
HARRY ELLIOT
July 13, 2017 9:13 am

It is against the privacy of people. So the people should be beware of these hacks. They should be given proper security by the companies who are dealing in camera industry. In fact, security cameras are most vulnerable because most of the people who deploy them don’t change their default username and password making it a cakewalk for hackers to hack them.

Patric
Patric
July 18, 2017 3:55 pm
Reply to  HARRY ELLIOT

Are they still able to hack a security camera system if is not connect to a WiFi

joe
joe
July 29, 2017 6:25 pm
Reply to  Patric

of course. even without internet they can see through your clothes no matter how many layers you put on. poor man !!!

Abc
Abc
September 1, 2017 1:57 pm
Reply to  HARRY ELLIOT

The issue identified following the Dyn DNS attack was that the CCTV cameras used in the DDoS attack had a root or admin user with a hardset password that can not be changed – not just that there was a default username and password.

FvckThePolice
FvckThePolice
September 21, 2017 1:04 am
Reply to  Patric

As long as it’s connected to a non-airgapped LAN, yes, but if it’s simply wired directly to a monitor or on an airgapped network then no

oreison
oreison
November 14, 2017 12:41 pm

thank you for these tricks!

oreison
oreison
November 14, 2017 2:51 pm

can some one access to the camera without internet access?

aniket
aniket
November 28, 2017 3:34 pm

i think my cctv system has been hacked by some of the company member several times. i am not able figure out in the footage . Can they change the video as shown in movies ? i think there are softwares available for that. if it is really happening how can i stop it

Nick Ts
Nick Ts
December 5, 2017 12:22 pm

mate the petrol station is in Southampton UK, just opposite the Univeristy. It’s not Malaysia

James
James
December 8, 2017 7:54 am

The leading manufacturer we use make you change the pass word and is has to be a high security one that you change it to.

Robert Brent
Robert Brent
January 30, 2018 4:00 am

For easy recovery of photo or video on a website or you need to delete unwanted video or photo from a website and all hacking job such as , website hacking, emil, iphone, security camera and access control hacking, and bank hacking , to hire us please contact us by email: [email protected] and state what you want to do and we would help you ?

Olayinka
Olayinka
February 14, 2018 10:49 pm
Reply to  Robert Brent

I actually want to learn hacking to help the society nothing. I am a CCTV installation Engineer , I really want to know about how to hack CCTV

Kim
Kim
March 8, 2018 7:10 pm

Yeah the other night out of the blue I’m awakened to my alarm doing the 45 second count down.. I heard my husband get up and punch in the code to then disarm it but when I woke up again to use bathroom I walked into the hall and the alarm went off. The police called right away which it’s usually the alarm company. I honestly think my husband used the alarm and camera company he did because he spies on me. We have all windows and doors but the bathroom. Who is professional and forgets to secure the bathroom… Read more »

Suzan
Suzan
March 8, 2018 7:27 pm
Reply to  FvckThePolice

Is Hughes net a great company to have if you plan on hacking your wife’s home network and use her security system against her so like you know when she’s not home and who is there at her house and when. It’s a great stalking tool that I bought into paying 3,000 dollars for but he got the guy he said from great reviews but I wasn’t at all impressed with this company. I was totally worked by my soon to be ex I can’t believe I fell for it. But it was easy because my soon to e ex… Read more »

Dame Essentials
Dame Essentials
March 9, 2018 10:50 am

Thanks for posting about home surveillance equipment that helps to give us full of security and protection.

Miles Corcoran
Miles Corcoran
March 18, 2018 10:39 am

People can see what your doing from the camera on your: phone tablet computer laptop and others. put a sticker on it

Kanha
Kanha
March 29, 2018 1:33 pm

Bhartiy gang

Martijn
Martijn
April 14, 2018 8:02 pm

Ive worked for several it companies (huge ones too) and now i’m a hobbyist hacker. I can tell you when time pressure is an issue (which it always is) security is not an issue. (well fix it later, blame someone else).

linx
linx
August 15, 2018 12:42 pm

I died

Newly
Newly
October 25, 2018 12:42 am

How can the average person protect themselves?? I am not tech savvy.

Fallout 4 Won’t Launch On The PC
Fallout 4 Won’t Launch On The PC
November 25, 2018 8:40 am

Hello, Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance,[1][2] is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly transmitted, though it may employ point to point (P2P), point to multipoint (P2MP), or mesh wired or wireless links.

0per
0per
February 8, 2019 12:24 am
Reply to  joe

Yep, and so many ways to do it. Reverse TV Lightwave Interpolation, Vulnerable devices with IR remotes can even see you in the dark! Then you got your older smoke detectors with radioactive elements misbehaving and broadcasting your movements through walls, Hell, even those LED light bulbs. I found a full suit of chainmail on Craigslist DarkWeb and I wear it whenever I leave the panic room.

Crazy world

Victoria Tegg
Victoria Tegg
February 20, 2019 5:18 am

Suddenly my logitech program’s sound is super soft. It doesn’t matter what I do it sucks.. OBS causes lags with recording but sounds is good.. xsplit has this echo I can’t seem to remove. windows thing doesn’t work.. I’m so screwed.. I have to wait 2 more months before I can get a new phone 🙁 and vdub isn’t easy to use… I’m a bit clueless what to do.

Ludo
Ludo
February 28, 2019 11:50 am

We’re always interested in looking at the security of consumer and enterprise kit, whether it’s for a customer as part of a product security evaluation, or for our own interest.

NIC-cole the smart one in the world
NIC-cole the smart one in the world
March 29, 2019 10:29 am
Reply to  Kim

You poor thing it’s not your husband it’s the government and the government is more than capable of making you think you’re crazy enough to be taking the abuse from your husband while he said the First Security System just to watch everything you do! That’s not what happened I promise you because my husband once thought I was doing that to him and I had to explain to him it was the government he now believes me I’ll look into everything else the government sees volume your husband loves you don’t divorce him over your paranoia maybe he just… Read more »

Alisha Ross
Alisha Ross
April 5, 2019 4:52 am

Wow. This is great, you just saved me from a lot of stress. I’ve wasted hours searching for the right tool. I thank God i found your great information.
Regards
Ross Alisha

AngieA
AngieA
April 8, 2019 10:15 pm

How can I protect myself. My home cameras are being hacked daily. I have to put covers over the lens. Can they still see me inside my home? Also, sometimes I caught them backing up footage and the most annoying thing is that they mute my alarm. One of my cameras is now defective and looks like a swarm of bees, unable to identify anyone in the frame. What can they be using and how can I protect myself and home? Thank you.

dos
dos
April 16, 2019 3:13 pm
Reply to  oreison

Apparently yes but first they let themselves in with software !

Eve Hunt
Eve Hunt
April 19, 2019 5:29 am

Wonderful site. Lots of useful info here. I’m sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks to your sweat!
Regards: Eve Hunt

Alisha Ross
Alisha Ross
June 24, 2019 7:09 am

Thanks! on windows 8 there’s no lifeframe, but there is that camera picture on the v, so if anyone is on windows 8, it actually takes you to “”camera”” which still does the recording, just seems to be a more basic GUI. Thanks a lot for the help!
Regards
Ross Alisha

Ashley Johnson
Ashley Johnson
June 26, 2019 6:25 pm

I liked that you said that having a security camera installed will help you catch thieves. I would imagine that it would be easy to turn in surveillance camera footage to the police in order to find the culprit. I will be sure to have cameras installed so that I can find the people who broke in.

Richard
Richard
July 11, 2019 2:49 pm

Can surveillance cameras be hacked using a remote control interface and a CCTV tester to view what’s happening?

Richard
Richard
July 16, 2019 2:30 pm
Reply to  aniket

They can definitely change the video. They can delete one section and replace it with another.

Jason H
Jason H
August 26, 2019 9:29 am
Reply to  HARRY ELLIOT

The fact is, most people are told about how to keep themselves better secure and how to not become a target or easy prey. The problem is people start becoming, not just forgetful, but lazy, ignorant, and cocky. Why do I say that? Because one of the biggest known phrases from everyone who has become compromised, “I never thought it would happen to me…” I work in the industry, and tell client’s every day about what to look out for and how to better protect themselves, but unless people have someone directly with them to tell them every time they… Read more »

Morratie
Morratie
October 5, 2019 10:23 am
Reply to  0per

You are right man

Gabe
Gabe
November 2, 2019 3:10 pm
Reply to  Richard

How can u tell time lapse can they interrupt live time

Gexter
Gexter
November 6, 2019 3:52 am

In where I live the company usually said something like if you change the password or username from the default setting, if you have problems later, they won’t gaurantee that they can help you in case user forget password or if the device is broken.

Jeff
Jeff
December 12, 2019 11:57 am

Can they hack even if your on a secure network?

Harold
Harold
December 16, 2019 8:38 pm

It’s so simple to hack security cameras. Really? Anything Simple would not take and 8 minute Vd

Jamesbowser
Jamesbowser
January 25, 2020 4:08 am

How do you hack a lock

ASAD
ASAD
May 21, 2021 8:55 pm

Hi,
Is there any ways to control cctv system if it is not connected to internet?

Darr247
Darr247
October 25, 2022 3:31 pm
Reply to  HARRY ELLIOT

Accessing devices using the default usernames and passwords is not “hacking”… that’s like opening an unlocked screen door being called “breaking and entering” (it’s “entry without permission”).