If you watched the ‘Black Mirror’ webcam hack episode, titled “Shut Up and Dance” and the whole scenes that played out on your screen seemed too far-fetched, then you need a very serious reality check.
What you watched in that show was not a futuristic event but something that is currently happening. In fact, it is something that can happen to you right now if your webcam is currently not properly protected.
Remember when former FBI Director, James Comey was jokingly asked by former Assistant Attorney General, John Carlin if he still tape covered the webcams in his home? Remember that his quick response was “Heck yeah, oh, heck yeah”? This is a real danger in our world today and not just something the writers of the black mirror webcam hack episode simply thought of.
Since this threat is real, everyone needs to learn how they can protect their devices. If there is a threat that can hit everyone it is this. Almost everyone today owns one or more devices that have webcams.
Dealing with the Threat Shown in the Black Mirror Webcam Hack Episode
So, how can you protect your devices from these hackers who are looking to take control of your webcam? There are two ways to go about tackling this problem.
In the show, you noticed that the hacker gained access when Kenny downloaded a freeware what was supposed to remove malware. Though it appeared to work, its main job was actually to create a back door for the hacker to gain access into his laptop.
The above reminds one of the statements “there’s no free stuff”. You need to be careful about what you download. Use only reputable antivirus and anti-malware from trusted names. This will at least make it more difficult for you to download infected programs.
Secondly, you can use a simple webcam cover. This is cheap but effective protection against peeping toms. Even if a hacker gains control of your webcam, they will only be looking at a wall of darkness until you can fix the problem.
Do not let what happened to Kenny happen to you. It’s a real threat that you must constantly watch against.
