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Improve your privacy by disabling the webcam when you’re not using it

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Webcams are specialized peripherals for video and audio communication over the Internet and proved extremely useful when the COVID pandemic forced hundreds of millions of employees, students, and users to connect virtually. Sales of this type of product skyrocketed as did the personal and professional video conferencing applications used to take advantage of them.

Very useful, true, but with a problem that should be known. And it is that espionage through the webcam is not a myth. We have seen it in movies and series, but it is as real as life itself. The image of an adhesive tape covering the webcam of the computer of the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, brought the issue to the fore in the media, but it was already well known in areas of computer security where multiple cases with various techniques and objectives had already been documented.

From government espionage, installation of malware with tools like Gumfish, the takeover of machines taking advantage of vulnerabilities such as that of Flash Player or simply invading privacy to, among other objectives, extort money from celebrities.

How to disable the webcam if you don’t use it

Certainly, attacks by this method are less frequent than the typical phishing or ransomware attacks, but they are very dangerous considering that if they are successful, a third party would have access to your same home or company, and with video and audio no less. There is no reason to leave this device always active and here we will remind you of some effective methods to disable the webcam when it is not in use and at the same time that they are easily reversible when you need to use it.

unplug the webcam

As simple as that. 99 percent of desktop PC users use an external webcam, usually placed on top of the monitor. Unplugging the USB connector is a foolproof method that works regardless of hardware or operating system. How it works through plug and play it will take a second to reconnect it when you need it.

Disable it in the operating system

You can quickly disable the webcam at the system level in a couple of steps. In Windows operating systems, it is generally done by disabling or removing the component from Control Panel-Device Manager-Imaging Devices. On operating systems like Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can also disable the camera in the Settings > Privacy tool. In both cases, it is a comfortable and easily reversible solution, although it must be taken into account that advanced attacks could gain administrative access and activate it.

How to disable the webcam to improve privacy

Disable it in BIOS

It is another option for laptops or AIOs with integrated webcams that have this option in the BIOS. You reboot, go into BIOS, and disable an entry that you’ll see as “webcam,” “integrated camera,” or “camera CMOS.” The option is not usual and is only included in some models. Note that most built-in webcams use the same on-board module as the microphone, so you may want to leave the microphone disabled. If you want complete video and audio privacy this is a good option because access by an attacker is unlikely, although it takes longer to turn it back on because you have to restart your computer and re-enter BIOS.

cap the lens

If you see a sticker on the top frame of a laptop or AIO, you know what it means. It is a simple but very effective method. If a piece of sticker destroys the aesthetics of your brand new laptop, there are more attractive dedicated solutions that can slide at will, covering the lens or not. Some equipment, especially laptops, include it as standard and practically all the new batch webcams also include the corresponding cover.

* Additional precautions

  • Don’t trust the activity LED. Most webcams include a light that comes on when they are in use. In theory, in this way we could know if it is being used by third parties. However, be careful, because it is not an infallible method. It can be spied on without activating the notification light leaving users completely unarmed.
  • Be careful with the sound. Covering the lens or disabling the camera’s privacy option in the operating system can prevent remote eavesdropping via video, but not audio, because the webcam is still in use. Keep it in mind.
  • Default security. Webcam attacks need to previously install some type of malware on your PC, generally for these cases, a Trojan. Improving the general security of the PC (browsers, passwords, patches, common sense…) is a good way to protect against this and other attacks.

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