Most people buy a security camera to feel safer. Fewer stop to think about who else might be watching the feed. A camera that’s set up carelessly can show a stranger your yard, tell them when you’re away, and in the worst cases show them the inside of your house.
None of that takes a hacking genius. Usually it comes down to a few settings nobody bothered to change.
How cameras end up exposed
Most home cameras connect to the internet, so you can check them from your phone. Handy, sure. But if a camera, or the account it reports to, is easy to get into, anyone who finds it gets the same view you do.
The classic mistake is the default password. Lots of cameras come out of the box with one, and plenty of owners never change it. Those passwords aren’t much of a secret either. Many are easy to find online.
The video isn’t the only thing that leaks. A camera someone else can open shows when you leave, when you get home, and how long the place sits empty. At a cottage nobody visits for weeks, that’s exactly what the wrong person wants to know.
Do a little homework first
Privacy starts before anything goes on the wall. When you’re comparing cameras, ask a few things. Can you set your own password? Does the maker put out firmware updates, and how do you install them? Does the company actually explain what data it collects and where the video ends up? If a brand can’t give you a straight answer, move on.
It also helps to stop thinking one camera at a time. The cameras, the recorder and the app usually come from the same company, so you’re really picking all three at once. For a local look at how that plays out, this camera buying guide for Collingwood homes covers picture detail, choosing a brand, where the footage gets stored, and how cameras cope with winter.
Setup day
Once the cameras are up, a short setup routine covers most of the risk.
- Change every default password right away.
- Give each device and each account its own password.
- Turn on two-step sign-in if the app has it.
- After changing a password, try the old one. It shouldn’t work.
- Don’t forget the password on your main internet box.
That last one gets skipped all the time, and a weak password there can open up everything on your network. Some people go a step further and put their cameras on a separate guest network, so trouble with one gadget stays with that gadget.
Watch where it points
Aim cameras at the things you actually care about: doors, the driveway, the yard. Keep them out of your neighbour’s windows and backyard.
Think about what’s sitting in the frame, too. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada advises making sure outdoor cameras don’t reveal details like your street number or licence plate. It also suggests keeping web-connected cameras out of bedrooms and bathrooms altogether.
Where the video lives
Footage gets stored in one of two places. A recorder in the house keeps it on site; a cloud plan copies it to the company’s servers. Neither is automatically more private. What matters is whether the account is locked down, so ask how long video is kept, who at the company can see it, and how you delete it.
Updates and access
Cameras run software, and software gets fixed over time. Check for firmware updates a few times a year, or switch on automatic updates if the camera offers them. If a camera has stopped getting updates altogether, it’s probably time to retire it.
While you’re in there, look at who can open the app. Family, a property manager, the neighbour who checks on the cottage in February. When someone doesn’t need access anymore, take them off that day rather than “later.”
None of this takes long. An evening of setup now beats finding out your yard has been on someone else’s screen.