WEB CAMERAS TODAY

Today PC webcam performance is excellent, and the leading video conference program, SKYPE, claims more than 521 million users worldwide. Because of the benefits delivered by webcams, most of us don't even think about the small lens on our PC that is activated and capable of recording our every move each time we turn on our PC. People who know the risks of webcam spying are constantly covering the PC monitor webcam with tape or a folded piece of paper

 

PRIVACY THREATS ON THE RISE

The threat of people hijacking a useful communication device and turning your webcam into an unlawful spy tool is real. An NBC news affiliate reported that a PC user was shocked when a Dell Technical Call Support employee remotely activated her webcam without her permission. The FBI is investigating a Philadelphia school district that remotely activated student PC webcams on their MacBooks without student or parental permission. And in Florida, police arrested a 23-year-old student posing as a helpful PC repairman, on federal charges for computer tampering. The offender installed webcam spy software to remotely activate webcams on at least seven women's PCs to record over 20,000 illegal photos. An IDC report, The Diverse and Exploding Digital Universe, states that online users have an average of 45 Gigabytes of digital content online - but half is created by outside sources. In response to the invasion of privacy by remotely activated webcams, the U.S. Congress has drafted the Surreptitious Video Surveillance Act of 2010, which would make it a felony to remotely spy on people in their private residences using video cameras. Several prospective customers told us they need webcams for video conferencing, but often these same businesses required a mechanism to protect against unlawful recording of their employees and operations. I know of government departments, utility plant operators and home office customers who have demanded a physical webcam cover on PCs and Laptops. The traditional way to manually disable an integrated PC webcam in Windows is to:

1. Open Control Panel >
2. Click Hardware and Sound >
3. Click Device Manager >
4. Select Imaging Devices >
5. Webcam Driver Tab >
6. Select Disable and 'Yes"

To solve this problem GUST Marketing gathered a team to design/build a standard physical on/off shutter to cover the webcam on most PC's/Laptops.

 

OTHER ARTICLES of WEBCAM SPYING:

Hacker Uses Webcam to Spy on Family
Is your web cam spying on you?
Students' - eye view of Webcam spy case
PA School Settles 2 Webcam Spy Lawsuits for $610K
Is this webcam spying Victim Tyler Clementi's Last call for help?