As reported by The Independent, at least 50,000 home security cameras have been hacked with personal footage being stolen and shared online.
A report on AsiaOne shared that the rather large amount of stolen footage was uploaded onto pornographic sites, tagging many of the videos as being specifically from Singapore. The videos are said to be between less than a minute to more than 20 minutes each, and they show a variety of homes with people in different states of undress, or in compromising positions. Many show couples, mothers who are breastfeeding, and even children.
As worrying as it may seem, this comes as a clear reminder that when cameras are placed on the internet, they must be properly installed with security in mind. When smart devices are set up, they are still regularly placed around the home with no second thought for privacy. As we have seen, it can be extremely damaging if such footage gets into the wrong hands. However, this will hopefully act as a deterrent to users to be aware of smart cameras within the home and put in place security measures such as replacing the default passwords and adding multi factor authentication.