Security cameras are a great way to keep an eye on your home while away. They will help you scare away buglers, monitor your baby from another room, and even see what your pet is up to when you are away.
While they are all rosy when you are the one accessing them, things can turn sour fast when someone else gains access to your surveillance system. They can monitor your routine to plan the ultimate heist or record compromising videos for blackmailing.
Don’t worry, however. Today, we have a couple of tips you can implement when setting up and maintaining your camera systems.
Go for a Well-Known Brand Name
Don’t go to Amazon or Aliexpress and grab the first cheap security camera you chance upon. Going for an unknown brand exposes you to serious privacy and security risks.
Moreover, if the brand isn’t popular, they have no incentive to roll out regular security patches or refrain from gathering and selling personal information.
While known brands like Wyze, Nest, and Ring also have occasional security problems, at least they follow through and roll out patches to solve the problem. You also have someone to sue should things turn south instead of an unknown brand that would quickly close down shop and disappear when something bad happens.
Some of the top security cameras that we can comfortably recommend include:
- Cync Indoor Smart Camera ( Perfect for most people looking for an indoor security camera)
- Wyze Cam Pan V2 ( Best panning camera)
- Nooie Cam 360
- Eufy 2K Cam Pan and Tilt
- Arlo Q
Configure Strong Passwords and 2FA
A strong password is the biggest deterrent to automated hacks and many unseasoned hackers. You will be surprised how hard it is to crack a strong password. Choose a password that is at least ten characters long and is a mix of different alphanumeric characters.
Avoid passwords that reference inferable events in your life. A good password will make it harder for someone to access your security system since it will take a lot of resources and time to crack it.
Adding two-factor authentication throws an extra curveball. No one will have the time or willingness to dedicate resources to hack a well-secured account – unless you are a high-profile target that is worth the pain.
Hackers go for low-lying fruit. Don’t be low-lying fruit.
Updates can be annoying and interruptive. However, it would help if you were thankful as they will always put you a step ahead of malice.
Most updates will either address bugs or bring crucial security patches. Ignoring updates will expose you to known security vulnerabilities, making it easier for a third party to access your security cameras.
If possible, set up an auto-update on your cameras. Additionally, create a monthly or so reminder to manually confirm that your cameras are running the latest available firmware.
Ensure Your Home Network is Well Secured
Since all these cameras are IP cameras, someone breaching your home network can eventually access your cameras. Even if they don’t, they will find a treasure trove in all those devices connected to the network.
Some security features you can configure to your home network for extra protection include:
- Create a home network for your family’s devices and never share it with guests. You could go a step further and institute Mac filtering such that only specific devices can access the network
- Create a limited guest network with access to the internet but no access to any other devices in the house
- Secure all your networks with a strong password
- Never run any open WiFi networks
- Ensure you have a modern router with the latest encryption protocols in place
- Restrict access to LAN ports that connect straight to your home network
Turn it Off
Some good practices could be turning off your cameras when doing something personal. You wouldn’t want to be caught on camera.
You can even go a step further and place a physical shutter over the camera lens. See the way people tape over their laptop webcams? This is the same concept.
While some would argue this borderlines paranoia, it will give you peace of mind and ensure that you never get caught in any compromising position, even if someone breaches the excellent security you’ve set up for your security system.