Discuss the security issues and concerns associated with webcams.

What will be an ideal response?

Student responses will vary, but should be drawn from the following information from the text.

Sales of home security systems are on the rise due to their low costs and easy setup. These systems use cameras to monitor activity, and some send a message via mobile phone to alert a user of movement and entrance or exit into the dwelling and send the webcam's live feed of the scene.

This use of webcams serves a practical use in a private setting. Similarly, webcams in public areas, such as shopping malls, parking lots, and school cafeterias, help with surveillance measures and record everyday activity.

Webcam use, however, is criticized when the live feeds are used in a manner without the recorded parties' consent. In some situations, for example, criminals hacked into home computers and streamed live video feeds, school administrators took 66,000 pictures and screen captures of students using school-distributed laptops at home, and rent-to-own stores rented laptops with spyware that captured photos of customers in their homes.

If you have a webcam, follow these measures to prevent its unauthorized use:

• Unplug the webcam. This obvious suggestion offers the most secure solution. If the webcam is not connected to the computer, it cannot reveal what is occurring in front of the lens.

• Cover the lens. Place a piece of black electrical tape over the lens. This solution is ideal for tablets and laptops equipped with cameras.

• Register the hardware. Hardware manufacturers continually update their firmware to fix issues. If you register your product, the companies can notify you of known security holes and offer updates to download.

• Use a strong password. When connecting a webcam to a network, create a strong password that hackers would have difficulty guessing.