Fresno Cameras Hacked, Posted on Russian Website

There’s new concern for people who have any type of web or security cameras installed in their homes or business– your privacy may be in danger.  A new Russia based website is broadcasting thousands of live cameras feeds from inside bedrooms and offices across the globe.

CBS 47 Eyewitness News did some investigating and found some Fresno locations that were also compromised.

The website has been disabled, but during research we found seven cameras in Fresno that had been accessed and posted onto the site. One was inside a local business, which we contacted to break the news.

Imagine a stranger spying on your every move, inside your home, at your work or even watching your baby asleep in a crib.  The thought alone may be scary enough, but the fact that it’s actually happening is downright disturbing.  Most of the time, victim’s have no idea.

One employee at a local Fresno business was unaware the security camera inside of his workplace had been broken into by Russian hackers, until we showed him the images.

Unidentified victim says, “Shocking.  If someone is just watching our everyday movements, it’s pretty freaky.”

The man asked that we not identify him or the Fresno business where he works.  It was just one of seven Fresno cameras targeted and broadcast on the Russia based website.  One shows live footage on the deck of someone’s backyard.  Another shows a baby sleeping in a crib.  Even more frightening is the fact that the cameras are linked to GPS coordinates, which lead directly to homes and businesses.

J Colin Petersen with J-I.T. Outsource says, “It’s up to the consumer, the person who has installed the camera or purchased the camera, to install a password before being able to access that image.”

Petersen says the cameras that were compromised are vulnerable, running on default settings with no password needed to get in; leaving the door wide open.

“The sad part is they’re not even hacking.  They’re not doing anything special to get into these IP cameras,” says Petersen.

Mark “Pogie” Pogon with Turner Security says any IP camera running on a network, including webcams, baby monitors and security cameras could be at risk.

“Not only can they access their IP cameras, but they can also access business information, account information,” says Pogon.

The Fresno business that fell victim says it called it’s security professional directly after being alerted and had a password installed on the camera. That’s the same advice being given to everyone tonight- if you have a camera hooked up through the internet in some way, you should make sure it is password protected.  In most cases, you can just call the manufacturer to help with that process.