this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2023
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As a child, I remember it was trivial to use Google to see through surveillance webcams that people from around the world had purchased and left unsecured and public on the internet. I hadn't thought much of it then, including how obviously invasive of their privacy it was, but I think it has left me with an awareness of just how little these systems should be trusted to protect that privacy. I have no trust in the system to protect my data from anyone.
Those are still around. They are the local services that people suggest instead of Nest or something, where “you control your own data”. Turns out nothing is foolproof.
I mean, if you install a door with no locks on it it's not Home Depot's fault if someone walks in.
Yes, but that makes it a poor example of “how little these systems should be trusted”.
The IP cameras you can find with Google are because there's a lack of a firewall on them. It's possible to use devices on your local network without anyone knowing if you know what you're doing.
But because we consider electronics "consumer products" we don't have qualified professionals installing them, so we get doors without locks on them.
I think you’d be surprised how many cameras have NAT-Traversal turned on and can be accessed via web/app even behind a router.
You can still do this if you use https://www.shodan.io/
It’ll let you find IoT devices and cameras connected to the internet if you know what to search for and an alarming amount of them are locked behind an admin/admin login.
I advise against nosying around because there’s a near 100% chance that it’s illegal to do so in your jurisdiction.