News Taping over your webcam might not be enough to stop hackers from spying on you — they can now use a device's ambient light sensor

[Admin]

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have highlighted the imaging privacy threats facilitated by a device's ambient light sensor.

Taping over your webcam might not be enough to stop hackers from spying on you — they can now use a device's ambient light sensor : Read more

 

[Neilbob]

I just felt a legitimate shudder run down my spine when I read the words 'front-facing (selfie) camera'.

Luckily, this is one situation in which I can classify myself as 100% secure, as there's no webcam anywhere near me and my phone is almost old enough to be used as a paving stone.

On a similar note, I witnessed someone walking into a lamp post the other day while overly absorbed in their phone. That cheered me up immensely for the remainder of the week.

 

[Geef]

The other options:

1. Don't buy a monitor with a webcam.
2. If you use separate webcam, plug it into the front of your machine so you remember to unplug it when your done using it.

 

[paladinnz]

Holy over-sensationalized headlines Batman! It's an interesting idea, but not even a remotely viable method to "spy" on someone at the moment as it involves showing a known pattern full screen and capturing sensor data over several minutes. Who is going to take nearly 20 minutes to make a gesture on a device?

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

Good for proof of concept, but gaining access to a specific device, capturing a security PIN with the ambient light sensor, then actually gaining the device itself to take advantage of it presents about as much security risk as having your RAM stolen, deep frozen, and scraped for information.

But I can see where this could present a problem on static devices, such as touch screen access panels.

 

[Blitz Hacker]

If someone has gone to this much trouble to see you in a webcam, I'm going to guess you have bigger problems on your hands.

 

[caj]

If people really are concerned or.worried about security there a simple option in device manager called DISABLE device for the webcam.
Been telling people to do.this for ages

Dont think there any option without UAC popping up and a hacker attempting to enable it to spy on u

 

[edzieba]

Lots of people talking about webcams who clearly did not read the article, the source, or even the headline.

 

[ivan_vy]

The other options:

1. Don't buy a monitor with a webcam.
2. If you use separate webcam, plug it into the front of your machine so you remember to unplug it when your done using it.

webcameras with shutters, and if they have mics just unplug them, especially when doing banking or any other sensible operations.

 

[ivan_vy]

Holy over-sensationalized headlines Batman! It's an interesting idea, but not even a remotely viable method to "spy" on someone at the moment as it involves showing a known pattern full screen and capturing sensor data over several minutes. Who is going to take nearly 20 minutes to make a gesture on a device?

overstretching to what they can do with that data, itoh you can pinpoint someone to a place and time like the hunt of high interest people, add mics eavesdropping and the crossed data might be really useful.