INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesSmart cameras and baby monitors can be watched by criminals over the internet by default, security chiefs
warn.The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is advising people to tweak the settings after buying them.Easy-to-guess default passwords
might let a hacker secretly observe a home through connected devices, it said.The NCSC's technical director, Dr Ian Levy, warned while the
devices were "fantastic innovations", they were vulnerable to cyber-attackers.There are many examples of devices being accessed without
In one, the attacker spoke to a young girl, pretending to be Father Christmas
In another, a couple from Leeds had been watched thousands of times online without their knowledge.And security researchers easily breached
an adult toy that had a camera attached, in 2017.The new guidance for owners of smart cameras suggests three steps:changing the default
password, which is often an obvious word like "admin" or "00000" to an unguessable, unique one keeping the camera's software, sometimes
called firmware, updated switching off features that let you check the cameras remotely, if you don't need or use itMedia playback is
unsupported on your deviceMedia captionHow a couple were spied on by thousandsThis warning suggests growing concern about the potential
dangers posed by the "internet of things"
As connected devices move into people's homes and everyday lives, cyber-security risks are becoming intensely personal, with challenges in
protecting people's data and privacy
Cameras that provide details of what is going on inside your house are a prime example
One of the problems is the companies making these devices often try to make them cheap and fast to capture the new market - and security is
often an afterthought, if it is thought about at all
The problem is leading towards not just more warnings such as this one but also new laws to mandate security standards.Consumer group
Which?, which has highlighted security flaws in the past in children's toys and other smart devices, backed the new advice.It says
"mandatory security requirements and strong enforcement" are needed.In January, the government announced plans to bring in a new law to
require all manufacturers selling smart devices in the UK to obey new rules.The NCSC's latest guidance also recommends disabling UPnP
