A hacking group, whose identity remains unknown so far, is selling access to over 50,000 hacked home security cameras, which contain recorded videos of children, often naked or in other vulnerable and controversial moments.
According to a report by AsiaOne, the hacking group, which has over 1,000 members worldwide, uses the messaging platform “Discord” to advertise its products.
Sources say the group is offering access to footage captured from hacked security cameras for a one-time fee , and claims to have already shared more than 3TB of clips with multiple members. A 700MB sample of around 4,000 videos and photos is available for free. That may be because some of the clips – which can last from a few seconds to over 20 minutes – ended up on porn sites, the report said.
In addition to existing clips, the hacking group claims to have a list of over 50,000 security cameras in archives , which VIP members can explore, watch live, and even record.
The videos accessed by hackers by hacking into home security cameras are said to show unsuspecting victims in sensitive and controversial moments, such as breastfeeding mothers and school-age children. It is very likely that these videos were taken from IP security cameras that are now installed in many "smart" homes.
As Infosecurity reports, victims of this malicious activity developed by this particular hacking group come from all over the world, including Canada, Thailand, South Korea and Singapore.
Jake Moore, cybersecurity at ESET, said that poor access controls are more likely to be responsible for the compromised cameras. Moore added that this is a clear reminder that when cameras are placed on the Internet, they must be installed correctly by users, with all necessary security measures. With the ever-increasing technology, various “smart” devices are being created, which are placed in homes without taking privacy.
Finally, Moore stressed that this illegal activity uncovered by the hacking group, like other malicious activities, can prove extremely destructive, especially if videos of unsuspecting victims fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, Moore believes that this incident will deter users from placing “smart” cameras inside their homes and will prompt them to implement security measures, such as replacing default passwords and adding multi-factor authentication (MFA).
