Tag Archive for: wireless

How To Stop Your Wireless Security Camera From Being Hacked

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As well as enabling you to remotely keep an eye on your home, wireless security cameras should also protect your data security and home privacy. 

Our product tests and investigations have revealed models that lack even basic protections, and could put you at risk of being hacked.  

All wireless security cameras we review are fully assesed for how they protect you and your data from hackers. See the best wireless security cameras. 

How wireless security cameras get hacked

There are many different ways that an indoor surveillance camera might be targeted by hackers. 

Weak or generic default passwords are one of the most exploitable issues you’ll find. Some wireless cameras come with weak usernames, such as ‘admin’, and also easy to guess passwords, such as ‘admin’ (again), ‘888888’ or ‘123456’. Attackers know this, and can scan for cameras that are online to try these weak login details to gain access. You can also use a password manager to help.

Password security is also an issue if the camera sends unencrypted data. Even if you change the camera’s password, some cameras will send it, unencrypted, over the internet. This means that when you enter your password, an attacker could steal it and use it to access your camera. Some cameras even transmit your wi-fi password, too, putting your home internet at risk.

With some cameras, an attacker can take complete control over the device – known as full camera takeover. This involves gaining what’s known as ‘root’ access to the camera; a bit like having the keys to the front door of a house. They can then tamper with virtually any aspect of the camera and even load it up with malware.

Could your wireless camera be breaking the law? Read more about the laws around privacy and recording footage with security cameras at the home.

What happens if my camera gets hacked?

Unless the camera starts moving without you doing anything, or a voice sounds from the built-in microphone, you might not actually know that your camera has been hacked.

However, the impact of a hacking attack can be devastating; from intrusion to your privacy to potential compromise of other connected devices you have at home.

Smart home spying

Dodgy cameras…

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Wireless hacking threat lurks around trucks

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Criminals could take control of your tractor-trailer by exploiting just one vulnerability — whether they are looking to immobilize a vehicle to steal freight or block vital supply chain routes.

And one truck that was wirelessly hacked on Oct. 24 showed that such threats are not limited to the movies.

A hacker attacked a tanker trailer’s roll stability system by constantly sending commands and resetting the electric control unit (ECU), forcing air to vent out of the air brake system. If enough air was forced out of the system, the vehicle wouldn’t be able to move.

Fortunately, it was a good guy doing the hacking during a demonstration at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association’s (NMFTA) Digital Solutions Conference in Houston, Texas.

Man with bullhorn standing in front of a tanker
Ben Gardiner conducts a wireless truck hacking demonstration during NMFTA’s Digital Solutions Conference in Houston, Texas. (Photo: Leo Barros)

Ben Gardiner, NMFTA’s senior cybersecurity research engineer, used technology worth US$300 and leveraged ham radio knowledge for the hack. “The risk of software exploitation on these trailers and tractor brake controller units is something we just can’t push to the side,” he told TruckNews.com.

Picture of Ben Gardiner
Ben Gardiner (Photo: Leo Barros)

“If software is 100% perfect, then there is no risk to receive messages. The risk of malicious data of reaching a piece of software that wasn’t prepared for it is big in 2023. The purpose of this demonstration is to show you we can talk to these things,” the Arnprior, Ont.-based engineer said.

He added that in dry vans, especially equipment dating back to around 2001, trailers responded to almost any command. Their systems have no authentication, authorization or replay protection.

Such dry vans have larger and older valves, and the commands could also bleed the air faster than the compressor can generate it.

Road trains are particularly susceptible to such attacks because tractors have to work hard to maintain air supply through the braking system, he said.

How the hack was accomplished

Gardiner laid an antenna beside the tanker trailer, emitting signals identical to those on the power line communications network — a…

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Best wireless routers 2023: get good WiFi no matter your budget

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While network providers have got a little better in recent years, chances are the default router delivered from your supplier isn’t going to be top-shelf. It’s going to have limited range, stability and performance and, simply put, that is where investing in one of the best wireless routers of 2023 comes in.

Whether you’re after the best gaming router or the best router for 4K video streaming, upgrading your home WiFi hardware can make a big difference to your internet speeds and stability. Even if you have one of the best laptops around, if you don’t have one of the very best wireless routers installed in your home then you run the risk of missing out on features and functionality that you might need – not to mention improved Wi-Fi coverage.

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Major Wireless Router Brands Ranked Worst To Best

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TP-Link is a networking company, first and foremost. A glance at their website puts their routers, mesh Wi-Fi, and switches front and center, a focus that lands them at the top spot on our list. As with most companies, they have branched out into some smart home products, but the majority of their catalog remains in the networking category, and their wide array of options highlights that dedication to the router space.

TP-Link’s routers are greatly varied in their capabilities and design. Their gaming options, like the Archer AXE300, feature the high-performance specs PC gamers demand, such as dual 10 GB wired ports, Wi-Fi 6E, VPN client support, and ultra-high speeds. Their Deco line is a more cylindrical approach than comparable products from other brands, with a more stable base and a modern design that provides 3,300 square feet of mesh Wi-Fi coverage. They even offer a few Wi-Fi 7 options like the impressive Archer BE800, although the average user still has a while before that’s something to consider.

Overall, TP-Link’s routers are comparable to the best on the market but offered at a lower cost. Their Tether app is also lauded as a fantastic and easy-to-use setup assistant. The HomeShield security option is, like many of its competitors, another subscription-based suite of software, but a basic version of it is provided for free.

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