Is Someone Watching You through Your Webcam?

I was reading a really informative article on how phone and in-person conversations can be recorded legally. While wiretapping has been the main privacy concern in the past decades, the advent of new technology has also brought new privacy concerns. One of the more alarming privacy concerns I have seen lately is webcam spying.

Apparently, people can already hack into a webcam without triggering the record light on. These hackers use RATs to activate webcams, often targeting women for their less-than-scrupulous actions. No, they do not use the rodent kind of RATs.

The acronym stands for Remote Access Trojans. These malwares (malicious software) gain access into a person’s computer through compromised files, processes, services, clipboards, active network connections (including the Internet), and registries. Some privacy advocates suggest the use of tape to block web camera lens while it is not in use.

This diminishes a computer’s or laptop’s aesthetics but this does help in maintaining privacy. This is a native solution that can be taken while more reliable, sophisticated software are not yet within the public’s reach. But RATs do not only target webcams. They can also do a whole host of things that you would not want anybody to be doing with your very own computer.

They can remotely control a computer, take screenshots, record keystrokes, steal passwords, download more anomalous files, and open web pages. Just for their own sadistic fun, they can also cause a computer system to fail or send taunting audio message if the computer is text-to-audio capable. Gaining access to a computer will also allow hackers to steal personal data from their targets.

Cybercriminals can use stolen data to commit identity theft. In 2013, anti-virus company Kaspersky had tracked 3 billion malware attacks. That number only tells you that you have to take proactive actions to protect your computer.

Here are some ways you can prevent RATs and other viruses from infecting your computer.

• Do not download executable files unless they are from trusted sources. Only install programs from known sources.

• Do not open suspicious emails. They may carry executable files that carry viruses.

• Do not plug USBs, music players, and other external hardware into your computer unless they are from a reliable user.

• Do not visit suspicious sites. If a website does not look legitimate, it probably isn’t.

• Back up your data regularly. Should you need to reformat your infected computer, you can easily recover those data and programs that you will lose.