Why I'm Covering Up My Webcam (Privacy Tips)

[Chromatinfish 123]

Today, I'm covering up my computer webcam (it's built in, so you can't take it off) as it is the #1 tool for stealing your personal information. Imagine if your face was exposed to the internet? Yikes!
Actually this thread isn't about covering up your webcam physically, but securing your personal data.

#1. Install a programme that has built-in anti-logging and anti-exploit
Your AV program most likely has a built-in phishing shield, anti-exploit, and anti-logging. Turn them on! Keyloggers (see Security Dictionary) can steal your passwords, credit card numbers, and your MT posts. Phishing will trick you into buying stuff and steal your identity. If you don't have these shields, look below for a list of programme I reccommend (All are free). Please add to these!
1. Zemana AntiLogger
2. Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit Free
3. OpenDNS
4. K9 Web Protection
#2 Stop and Think
Remember when your middle school and high school counselor told you to "Stop and Think?" This also applies to security and privacy! When an email asks to confirm your password, contact the real company to see if it is real (Of course, if you don't use that service, it's a giveaway ). If a webpage tells you that it offers live and free streaming from the FIFA World Cup, be careful to not put in anything sensitive. Also, don't download anything and use an antivirus turned onto max-level. Scan the webpage at VirusTotal just to make sure.
Anything that seems to be too good to be true, scan the page with VirusTotal and also search the webpage on Google. If any guide comes up about how to remove it, it's probably a fake. If you need help to stop and think before downloading a product you can download anti-executables to help. A list of those are below. There is no product to help to stop and think to enter passwords and credit numbers as I know of. If any programmer reads this, please design something
AppGuard
NoVirusThanks EXE Radar Pro
User Account Control
#3 Don't download PUP
Most AVs have built-in protection against PUPs, but even easier, don't download them! You can see a list of PUP sites by myself Refrain from going there, and if you need to, uncheck all the options for PUPs. Download Unchecky to help! PUP can be adware and spyware, which tracks your data.
Hope this helps

 

[NikolayfromRussia]

I bought a fujitsu with a defective webcam. The webcam doesn't work properly. If you want it to work you should apply little force on both sides or put clippers as there is a bad connection. By the way, many users complain about this model. But I don't care about it as I don't use it at all.

 

[Cowpipe]

Have been covering up my webcam for two years now after finding numerous ways that I could trick my computer into broadcasting my image without my permission. Next time I take the back off my computer for my clean-up I'm going to physically disconnect it, I don't ever use it. I'm considering disconnecting the microphone too, if I want to chat on skype, I can always plug my own microphone in rather than risk someone listening in on my conversations or even my keystrokes without my permission.

 

[Cowpipe]

There is no product to help to stop and think to enter passwords and credit numbers as I know of. If any programmer reads this, please design something

Have been thinking about this for a while actually, would be fairly easy to implement but I've always been worried about the security of it which is why I've never actually made it. In the same way that I thought about creating a network filter that checks your traffic for sensitive information and verifies it's destination before allowing it to be sent out. One firewall had this functionality (I don't remember which one, maybe ZoneAlarm) but it didn't work for me :/

 

[Ink]

What about your built-in mic on your laptop and mobile devices? Eavesdropping on your conversations? Or your GPS in your smartphone or tablet? The Apple iPhone currently tracks users' locations and times. See here, http://malwaretips.com/threads/stop-your-iphone-from-tracking-everywhere-you-go.26230/

My webcam can be disabled via a key combination, when I'm not using it. Alternately, it can be disabled completely by disabling the device driver (Device Management). When the webcam is active, or in use, the LED light comes on. However, I've previously read that the light can be bypassed, but please assume your system has to be infected - if not first detected by your AV or anti-logger.

 

[Cowpipe]

What about your built-in mic on your laptop and mobile devices? Eavesdropping on your conversations? Or your GPS in your smartphone or tablet? The Apple iPhone currently tracks users' locations and times. See here, http://malwaretips.com/threads/stop-your-iphone-from-tracking-everywhere-you-go.26230/

My webcam can be disabled via a key combination, when I'm not using it. Alternately, it can be disabled completely by disabling the device driver (Device Management). When the webcam is active, or in use, the LED light comes on. However, I've previously read that the light can be bypassed, but please assume your system has to be infected - if not first detected by your AV or anti-logger.

Theoretically if you have a specific target (a surveillance operation for example), you can write a driver to interact directly with the webcam, bypassing the disabled webcam driver. Of course that relies on the driver being installed somehow (can be done with a small shellcode though) and the webcam being physically connected.

The LED light (and the webcam itself) is in nearly all cases controlled either by the firmware or by a kernel level driver or in some cases it's just a DLL! It can be switched off pretty easily, there is usually a specific function to turn the LED off (called in normal use, when you stop recording). You 'could' modify the circuit to your laptop webcam, by having a small resistor setup and an external LED which lights whenever the physical webcam receives power. This is a fairly simple 'hack' but very fiddly

 

[Nico@FMA]

Just disable the web cam in your hardware profile, and do so the same with the Mic and turn them back on when you need.
Saves you from installing all these weird resource consuming applications to protect a privacy you never did have in the first place.
The computer if properly set up will take care of the rest.