October 20, 2020 by Tim
When I first started working in IT, my then-manager liked to poke a little fun at people who covered their webcams with a sticker or Post-It note. These days, I’m not laughing. Cyber-attacks that can activate your laptop’s camera are very real. To combat consumers’ concerns, manufacturers, including Apple, introduced a webcam status light to let you know when your camera is active. But is this enough? It it really necessary to cover your webcam when you aren’t using it? Let’s find out.
Well, I won’t bury the lede today. In my professional opinion, it’s a good idea to cover your webcam when not in use. Why? Simple. With a sticker or Post-It note over the lens, you know for a fact that you are not being recorded. If you’re good about cybersecurity, I might be able to tell you that your webcam is 99% likely to not be recording. But without the cover, I can never say for certain that you are absolutely safe.
There may be IT professionals who disagree with my pro-cover stance. To the outside world, I might even seem paranoid or cynical.
Here’s the thing: when it comes to cybersecurity, paranoid and cynical is the right approach. I’d go so far as to say that any IT pro who isn’t a little paranoid probably isn’t taking their job seriously. Time and again, we’ve seen shocking cyber-attacks and new vulnerabilities that defeat even the best security measures. You just can’t be too careful.
We also need to weight the risks. Even if it’s vanishingly unlikely that someone has taken control of my webcam, the thought of someone secretly recording me is so unsettling that I want to make sure I’m completely defended.
Apple in particular seems to put a lot of faith in its camera indicator light. Unfortunately, it’s been proven multiple times that an attacker can activate a Mac’s camera without turning on the indicator light.
There are also software solutions like Oversight and ShieldApps Webcam Blocker that claim to warn you when your camera is activated. Again, it’s entirely possible for a sophisticated attacker to bypass these measures. In fact, anything that’s electronically connected to a computer system should be assumed to be under the control of that system. That goes for software, indication lights, and all the rest.
What about antivirus programs? It’s true that using good antivirus software can be an important security step. But no antivirus is 100% effective. There’s always a chance, however slight, that your computer has been infected or compromised without any indication that something’s wrong.
Due to their design, most smartphones are slightly more secure than traditional computers (especially Windows PCs). That doesn’t mean that smartphone camera attacks don’t happen. They just aren’t as likely. There’s also the fact that unlike a laptop, a phone’s camera usually isn’t pointing at you all the time. My recommendation is to simply keep your phone in a bag or your pocket when not in use, which most of us do anyway.
That being said, if you’re concerned about your phone’s camera, you can purchase a sliding lens cover that will allow you to quickly cover and un-cover your camera. Don’t forget that most smartphones today also have a secondary, front-facing camera to worry about, too.
One thing the attackers and viruses can’t bypass? That’s right: a piece of tape, a sticker, or a Post-It note. Unless your computer has electronic arms, it’s not possible to write a piece of malware that pulls a sticker from off the lens. It’s so simple. It’s so easy! It takes just a few seconds to absolutely, positively thwart a potentially damaging cyber-attack. Who wouldn’t take a second to protect themselves?
So, the answer is no. It’s not crazy at all to cover your webcam. Heck, you might be crazy not to. Just don’t ask me about your microphone.
You can purchase a sliding webcam cover from many retailers to easily cover and un-cover your camera. They also look way better than a piece of tape. Find some options here.