The webcam They are very useful tools for those who work remotely and for those who have family and distant friends and friends, but they also represent an excellent opportunity for cybercriminals to spying – literally – their victims. A potential risk to privacy that is not as remote as some could erroneously think. Unauthorized access to the camera of your computer, known as CamFectingis a concrete threat that can derive from the installation of malware, from access to malicious websites or from the vulnerability of the system. For protect the webcam from unwanted intrusionsit is possible to take effective preventive measures, for example using vouchers Antivirus software And disabling the webcam when its use is not necessary. The safest method of all, however, remains thephysical darkening of the peripheral, feasible through special “caps” for integrated privacy or, in the absence of these, resorting to the good old adhesive tape.
How to understand if the PC webcam is on and under control
Before seeing how to deactivate the PC webcam and prevent it from being hacked, it is necessary to open a parenthesis on How to know if the webcam is under control. In fact, there are several signals that can indicate potential illegal access to the peripheral. We list someone:
- There Webcam light It lights up without reason, even if only for a few moments. The webcam, in fact, has a spy which lights up when the camera is in use. In some cases, you may also notice unusual camera behaviorsas sudden movements of the frame or anomalous arrests of the app that uses it.
- Appearance of Unknown files in the system.
- Detection of a Data abnormal consumption by the background applications.
- Sudden reduction of autonomy of the laptop battery, caused by the execution of hidden processes.
If you suspect that your computer’s webcam has been compromised, the first action to be made is Cover it immediately with a piece of adhesive tape or a dedicated protection. Then, disconnect the device from the Internet and use an updated antivirus to perform a complete scan.
How to deactivate the computer webcam
For Protect the webcam from unauthorized accessyou can proceed to his software deactivation. All the main ones browser They allow you to manage the camera permits, preventing websites from activating it without your consent. If you use Chromefor example, you can act on webcam access permits by clicking on the button ⋮ and then following the path Settings> Privacy and Security> Site Settings> Camera; on Safarion the other hand, you have to go to the menu Safari> Settings …> Websites> Camera.
The browser, however, is not the only channel through which the webcam can be used. The applications installed on your computer may access it without realizing it. To prevent it, simply act on the settings of your computer. On Windowsjust go to Settings> Privacy and Security> Camera; on macOSon the other hand, just go to System settings> Privacy and Security> Camera.
How to prevent the webcam from being hacked
To reduce the risk of being spied on through the webcam as much as possible, adopting a good “digital hygiene” is the minimum you can do. Among the good practices that should be an integral part of your routine, there are those found below.
- Regularly updated software: This includes both system updates and those relating to application programs. Many attacks exploit already known vulnerability, which are resolved with the updates.
- Use security systems: Among the various, we suggest you protect the home network with a firewall and, if possible, use a VPN to encrypt the connection. Also equipped with a good antivirus, especially if yours is a Windows PC (not that macOS and Linux are immune to cyber attacks, but Windows is particularly targeted by hackers, given its greatest diffusion and popularity).
- Pay attention to Phishing attempts: Do not click on suspected links received by e-mail or messages, and do not install software from unreliable sources.
