People install security cameras to maintain privacy or add a layer of security. Unfortunately, criminals might use devices meant to safeguard a home as surveillance tools. The more interconnected devices and systems become, the greater the risk of a security breach.
Common mistakes can expose you to risk and allow unwanted visitors to access your home digitally. Here are the key security camera issues and how to reduce the risks.
1. Exposed Cameras
Research conducted in a study found 40,000 cameras’ live feeds exposed, making them viewable by anyone with a bit of technical savvy. These cameras were viewable without a password or any firewall — anyone with the correct IP address can view live feeds in a home, exposing its occupants to stalkers, predators and worse.
Weaknesses may come from the camera’s firmware or the same cloud-based services allowing customers to access saved videos.
2. Intercepted Videos
Researchers at Northeastern University found that hackers can listen in on private conversations through household cameras, potentially exposing individuals to giving up passwords, personal details and other information they wouldn’t share if they knew a cybercriminal was listening in. Even smartphone cameras may leak real-time video via electromagnetic emissions to nearby bad players.
Even when individuals use strong passwords and take careful precautions, malicious actors may be able to capture and reconstruct encoded video, exploiting this technological loophole.
3. Default Vulnerabilities
A home security system has an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years, so keeping technology updated is crucial in protecting privacy. Beyond refreshing outdated systems to protect, homeowners must be wary of default settings that can open them to cyber incidents. Since camera manufacturers often send out patches to shore up defenses and fix flaws, a camera with firmware or software vulnerabilities puts owners at risk.
Home security systems that are older than the support available for them are at particular risk.
4. Entry Points for Broader Attacks
Thieves can hijack cameras and use them to attack a home or business network more broadly. A camera connected to Wi-Fi may also make laptops, routers and smart devices vulnerable. Malicious actors can then access sensitive files, disable systems or torment unsuspecting homeowners while demanding a ransom to stop.
In December 2019, homeowners in Texas, Mississippi reported their Ring cameras were hacked and the attackers harassed them, even threatening their children. The criminals demanded Bitcoin payments to stop. In 2025, the Akira ransomware group found an unmanaged IP webcam and used it to get through endpoint security and take over a corporate network. An unsecured camera is problematic for consumers and companies.
5. Lack of Awareness
People often invest in something to make their house safer and trust it will do its job without much additional effort from them. They may not understand that over five billion records were compromised in 2023 alone or the number of cameras exposed every day in breaches across the globe.
Lack of awareness and a certain comfort level make people lax, and they may put off downloading the firmware patch or changing to something other than the default username and password.
What Can People Do to Secure Cameras From Cybercriminals?
Fortunately, a few simple steps can secure a home or business security camera and reduce the likelihood of someone accessing the videos.
- Strengthen defenses by changing from default usernames and passwords to strong, unique ones.
- Keep software current by installing firmware updates as they are released. These upgrades may include critical security patches that protect you from vulnerabilities and current threats.
- Route cameras through virtual private networks and firewalls to prevent them from being directly exposed to the internet.
- Disable features you aren’t using.
- Pay attention to logs and audit access from time to time to see who is viewing your feeds and where they are located.
Small measures often have the most significant impact on reducing the chance of someone viewing video footage the user wants to keep private.
Turning Vulnerabilities Into Strongholds
Security cameras connect to other systems in your home and upload files to the cloud, which makes them vulnerable to firmware flaws and slamming doors closed against cybercriminals prevents privacy invasion.
Quick and inexpensive fixes reduce the potential for unauthorized access and can give owners peace of mind that their systems are truly secure.
As the Features Editor at ReHack, Zac Amos writes about cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and other tech topics. He is a frequent contributor to Brilliance Security Magazine.
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