Privacy concern about mobile app

[iwatch 0]

Hi, I am very tempted to use mobile app to access the security cameras installed at home. Overtime, I learn about the privacy concerns around these products.

 

My concern is when I use this type of mobile app remotely, I wouldn't even need to provide the camera's IP address. Does that mean the mobile app uses different token to search and connect to the camera? Is it safe?

 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jeff

[Cortian2 3]

Generally the way such remote access works is the devices on your personal, private LAN, such as surveillance cameras, are registered with and communicate to a "Mothership." (An Internet-accessible server.) The mobile app then either registers with the device(s) or with the Mothership. When the mobile app then wishes to communicate with the devices on your personal LAN, the Mothership connects the two.

 

That connection may be device(s) <-> Mothership <-> mobile app or the Mothership, after ensuring the proper associations, hands-off the connectivity to device(s) <-> mobile app.

 

Now, security: There are several issues, here:

• Device security. This is the Internet of Things (IoT) question. Are the devices, themselves, relatively immune to being exploited by Bad Actors?
  
• Device <-> Mothership security. Are the devices communicating relatively securely with the Mothership?
  
• Mothership security. Is the data on that Internet-accessible server relatively secure?
  
• Mobile app security. Is the mobile app relatively secure and relatively immune to be exploited?
  
• Mobile app <-> Mothership and/or Mobile app <-> devices security. Are the communications between the three elements in the group relatively secure?

 

Your question may or may not be answerable. It may be answerable only by guesstimate. People would have to know what devices, manufacturers and mobile app you're talking about to have even a hope of answering.

 

The second question you have to ask yourself is this: How much does it matter? The exposure vs. risk question. Sure, nobody likes the idea of being spyed-upon, even if there's nothing interesting to see. But there's a big difference between a jewellery store's or bank's concerns and those of a random private residence. In the latter case: A big difference between a camera in the living quarters and one watching the back yard or porch.