A hacking group is selling access to more than 50,000 hacked home security cameras, including footage of children in various states of undress, it has emerged.
The group, which has over 1000 global members, has been using messaging platform Discord to advertise its wares, according to a report on AsiaOne.
It’s reportedly offering access to the camera footage for a one-off subscription fee of $150 and claims to have already shared over 3TB of clips with scores of members. A 700MB sample featuring around 4000 videos and stills is reportedly available for free.
That may account for the fact that some of the clips, lasting from just seconds to over 20 minutes, have ended up on pornographic sites, according to the report.
As well as existing video clips, the group is apparently claiming to have a list of over 50,000 cameras on its files which VIP members can “explore, watch live and even record.”
The clips are said to feature victims in compromising positions, including breastfeeding mothers and even school children. It’s most likely that they are taken from the IP security cameras now commonplace in many smart homes.
It’s claimed that victims come from all over the globe, including Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and Canada.
ESET cybersecurity specialist, Jake Moore, argued that poor access controls are most likely to blame for the hijacked cameras.
“As worrying as it may seem, this comes as a clear reminder that when cameras are placed on the internet, they must be properly installed with security in mind. When smart devices are set up, they are still regularly placed around the home with no second thought for privacy,” he added.
“As we have seen, it can be extremely damaging if such footage gets into the wrong hands. However, this will hopefully act as a deterrent to users to be aware of smart cameras within the home and put in place security measures such as replacing the default passwords and adding multi-factor authentication.”