Are You Using And Accessing Your IP Cameras Securely?

[TheUberOverLord 0]

1. Please verify that your IP Camera has the most current firmware installed in it. It should be noted that while you may think since your IP Camera is working ok that it's OK to not upgrade to the most current firmware release for your IP Camera.

 

Sadly. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Many IP Camera firmware releases include security vulnerability FIXES that have been fixed. So if you don't install the most current firmware releases for your IP Cameras you expose your IP Cameras to those that look and prey on IP Cameras still having those security vulnerabilities which have not been fixed.

 

2. If you access your IP Cameras from time to time over insecure Internet connections or display your IP Cameras in web pages you may wish to peek at what you could be exposing about your IP Camera, while doing do here:

 

http://foscam.us/forum/showing-secure-methods-using-php-to-display-your-ip-cameras-t8721.html

 

3. If your IP camera has the ability to be accessed using HTTPS secure methods vs. HTTP unsecure methods. You may wish to think about NOT port forwarding your HTTP port for your IP Camera and instead only port forwarding your HTTPS port for your IP Camera. While technically you could still potentially be exposed to a man-in-the-middle attack over a unsecure Internet connection it's still much better to communicate with your IP Camera remotely using HTTPS access methods vs. HTTP access methods when possible.

 

4. Sadly. Many IP Camera owners never take the time to check, see and learn what information can be or is exposed, when accessing their IP Cameras remotely.

 

While this may at first seem trivial and you may think if you ever notice any abuse of your IP Camera, by others. That you will simply at that time, change the password for your IP Camera and all will be back to normal.

 

The bitter truth is. If you as an example exposed a Admin User Level Id and Password for that Admin User Level Id for your IP Cameras over a unsecure Internet connection while accessing your IP Camera remotely. It's possible that any Email and/or FTP User credentials stored in your IP Cameras configuration data can be accessed and exposed by others using that Admin Logon to your IP Camera. Potentially causing you to lose control of those accounts. Not simply your IP Camera.

 

Issues like this apply to any device you may access remotely from unsecure Internet connections that may contain sensitive data in that devices configuration data. So this is not limited to IP Cameras.

 

Don