[pchelpers] Your own webcam might be a hidden camera...

Hi folks,

"A good example for cameras that can be taken over are computer controlled =
miniature
cameras, commonly called =93webcams=94. Those have become very popular rece=
ntly
and are available for prices as low as $ 45. Control over the computer the =
camera is
attached to results in control over the camera itself. Given the fact that =
trojan based
takeovers are trivial with many popular home user operating systems, this i=
s a serious
risk. Some trojans even support grabbing images from attached webcams by de=
fault
[55]. This clearly shows that computer security does matter =96 in many cas=
es a breakin
will not only affect the machine itself but also its environment. It is str=
ongly suggested
not to attach any microphones or cameras to networked computers permanently=
. This
applys just as well to toys such as the Lego=AE Mindstorms=99 11 =94Vision =
Command=94 set
which is essentially a small webcam with added functionality."

"[55] The Cult of the Dead Cow=92s Bo2k, a =93network administration tool=
=94
http://www.bo2k.com "

From=20http://www.tentacle.franken.de/papers/hiddencams.pdf

--Scott.


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