What should you do to prevent being hacked?

Data breaches continue to accelerate throughout the world. With increasing Internet connectivity, physical security systems are very vulnerable to cyber-attacks, both as direct attacks and as an entrance to the rest of the network. Liabilities for these attacks are still being defined.

Not long ago, Irish farmers were exposed to massive security and privacy threats with their CCTV security cameras.

Using web-based CCTV cameras to monitor their farms, they were open to a serious security and privacy threat by not changing the default passwords on their cameras. Videos from farm sheds, yards and homes from Cork to Donegal were being streamed live by an international website to anyone who logs on. So a number of Irish farms, homes, and churches were among the sites exposed on the internet.

They weren’t hacked “old style” – they or their security companies just forgot to secure cameras with proper passwords.

The best way to prevent your security camera from being hacked

Basically, our main advice to all was as always – secure passwords, thus use combinations of capital letters, numbers and symbols that are unrelated either to you or your family members. This would be the first obstacle for hackers to get into the system. You should also change your password frequently, and if possible, keep a hard copy of passwords in a secure place known only by your family.

Change your surveillance system passwords on a schedule. Enforce security quality with the same rigorousness as your company standard. Long, strong passwords are the best.

Assigning a unique long non-obvious password for each camera would be a time-consuming process for every installer. It takes time to set up, it is more difficult to administer, and very hard to track. This was, unfortunately, the reason for all companies to use a single password for all the cameras in an account.

It’s best to choose a wired system when possible because a wireless system is more vulnerable to online attacks from a hacker. But if you are using a wireless system, make sure you activate the latest encryption option available. A higher standard of security protocol means more safety and should always be used when installing a wireless security system.

NEVER use default username or password of the device

Having that sorted out, let’s investigate other important parts of security systems protection:

• The good reputation of the security devices and companies you choose
• Never buy a used security system
• Limit the number of devices used to access your system
• Never use public connections for accessing your security system. These connections are not secure and could leave you exposed
• Finally – work with qualified/certified security professionals for a peace of mind

No matter what kind of IP security cameras (systems) you choose for your farms, you can access your cameras with your iPhone, Android, or other devices locally and remotely, that’s the beauty of it. It is easy and manageable when your farm security cameras and your smart devices are both connected to the Internet.

Just log into your farm security camera app, you can view your home or farm wherever you are. You can also receive real-time alerts via push notifications and e-mails when motion events are detected by your farm security cameras.

Just remember the importance to protect your home, farm or company through active preventative measures. By defining best practices, you are maximizing your cybersecurity. Proper security camera system assessment, as well as its deployment and maintenance, brings safety for you and your property.