Addicted to Webcam Hacking
Vice.com reported on a UK man that says he spent 5 – 12 hours per day – watching people through their computers.
The Man Who Got ‘Addicted’ to Hacking Webcams | by Joseph Cox | October 8, 2015
Plenty of cybercriminals hack for profit, fame, or just because they can. But according to the National Crime Agency (NCA)—essentially the UK’s version of the FBI—one newly convicted crook claimed he was “addicted” to breaking into peoples’ webcams, mostly to watch the unsuspecting victims carry out sexual acts.
The NCA announced Thursday that Stefan Rigo, 33, from Leeds, was arrested in November 2014 as part of a spate of busts targeting users of remote access trojans, or RATs: pieces of software that allow an attacker to take control of a target’s computer. Five other UK arrests were made from the same Europol-coordinated operation, an NCA spokesperson told Motherboard.
Rigo paid for the RAT, in this case a tool named Blackshades, with his ex-girlfriend’s credit card, according to the NCA press release. Blackshades is sometimes used to steal banking details, and pinch passwords to email accounts.
When police busted Rigo, however, they found sexually explicit screenshots of other people’s private Skype video calls, as well as pictures taken through victims’ hacked web cams.
How To Protect Yourself From Webcam Hackers
1. Change the Default Password
2. Check for Security Updates
3. Install Internet Security Software
4. Cover the Camera (see review of cover options below)
More Information:
What’s the Best Webcam Cover to Protect Your Online Privacy?
Hackers Spying On You with Your WebCam
