Over the past few years there have been more stories about wireless Wi-Fi baby monitors being hacked and they are still happening.
These hackers break into your home internet network and gain access to your baby monitor’s web camera or audio microphone.
- Why do people hack into a baby monitor?
Some of them do it because they like the challenge. Some do it to show off to other hackers. Most like to cause trouble and think its fun and fair game if you don’t protect your wireless network.
There are solutions. We need to follow basic advise to protect our homes from these internet hackers.
Table of Contents
What Baby Monitors Can Be Hacked?
Unfortunately all audio and video baby monitors, both old and newer models can be hacked. Some might be easier to hack than others though.
Simple baby monitors that use only two way radio-frequency communication, like walkie talkies technology, can be hacked. However, they would need someone very close to the units to intercept the communication and listen in. These monitors might also use encrypted frequency signals to help make them more secure and have less interference issues.
New baby monitors that connect to the internet through your home Wi-Fi can be hacked by someone from anywhere in the world. This is because they use the internet to stream audio sounds and video images to your monitor, computer, or smartphone app. These devices can be made more secure using the following tips.
Six Steps to Stop Your Wi-Fi Baby Monitor Getting Hacked
1. Change The Default Password
Your baby monitor has a standard password when it’s made and set up by the manufacturer. Hackers know and will try all the default manufacturer passwords. The same goes for your home Wi-Fi router. Change the password to a strong password option and not a weak password such as, 123456, p@ssword1, your child’s name, or date of birth.
2. Update Your Device Firmware
Make sure your baby monitor and internet router have the latest firmware updates for the models that you have. Sign up, or register the product, with the manufacturer when you buy it so they can alert you to any software updates.
3. Install a Firewall
Everybody who owns a computer needs to have a firewall installed on their router. A firewall helps to stop your computer from allowing connections from other networks, computers or Wi-Fi cameras that could cause these devices to be hacked.
4. Encrypt Your Wi-Fi Connection
Use the WPA2 encryption setting on your router to add another layer of protection to your home network. Password protecting your Wi-Fi connection is a good step to take, but, if your Wi-Fi signal uses no encryption, you are still at risk of being hacked.
5. Buy an Encrypted Digital Baby Monitor
There are quite a few analogue baby monitors being used and for sale. Their security features are weak. An analogue signal is able to be intercepted with most decent hand held scanners. While wireless and Wi-Fi digital baby monitors can be hacked, when they are set up correctly, they are very difficult to hack into.
6. Turn off the Wireless Device
If your wireless Wi-Fi baby monitor is off, there is no chance ever of it being hacked – this is the ultimate protection. Turn off your baby monitor when it’s not being used and don’t leave it on standby.
Summary
So, there you go, six steps you can take to reduce, and hopefully, eliminate baby monitor hacks.
You wouldn’t leave your front door unlocked all day and night. So don’t leave your computer network and baby monitor open to hackers. You can’t eliminate the threat of hacking 100 percent. Anybody who says so is deluded or lying.
Following the steps above will give you a fighting chance to protect your self from hackers and also follow the National Cyber Security Centre advice.