We keep hearing more cases about baby monitors being hacked
by predators and it’s certainly a very scary and creepy thing. The most recent case in the news was in
Cincinnati, Ohio where parents heard a male voice coming over the monitor
screaming at their child trying to wake her up.
Last fall in Huston, Texas a couple heard a male voice screaming at
their daughter by name over the monitor.
The child’s name was spelled out over the crib on the wall. Obscenities were used in both cases. The
monitor, which is supposed to follow movement in the room, was panning the room
being controlled by the hacker. Parents say if the intruder hadn’t spoken at
all they would have never known he was watching and it could have been going on
for a while.
Parents in both cases immediately unplugged the monitor,
which is certainly your first inclination however, powering off the camera wipes it’s log of IP addresses and therefore any evidence
that police had to go on to find out who these people are. As you can imagine, both families felt very
violated and horrified.
Police are not certain whether this could be the same person
or a copycat but the monitors in both cases were the brand Foscam (one of which
is shown above). The company had
released a firmware update for the camera fixing the problem however people who
bought the item through a reseller may not get/be aware of the updates.
Experts say any digital video device that is monitored
wirelessly, whether by cell phone, hand-held receiver, TV, tablet or PC, is
vulnerable to hackers. Some newer models
of monitors have technology that jumps from frequency to frequency, making them
more secure, while older ones do not.
Most newer models also have password capability which is definitely a
must. (Incidentally, anyone with the old
analog type of monitors need not worry)
To keep your family as safe as possible, follow these rules:
1.
Enable and use the password capability on the
monitor using strong passwords
2.
Use a different password for the monitor than
you use for the Wi-Fi
3.
Change the manufacture default settings on both
monitor and Wi-Fi
4.
Check with the manufacturer website for current
updates frequently
5. Be aware and pay attention to the monitors movements
Technology is a wonderful thing in this day and age but
never let your guard down to keep your family safe. These two families have decided to go
“unplugged”.
