Security camera: how secure is it?

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Wife picked this camera up for us to install so we could see our driveway--due to the way our house is situated, anyone parking in front of the garage is invisible to us. I went to install it, using its WiFi connection, downloaded the app, and when it wanted the password for my WiFi... that gave me pause. Should I be worried about anything here? I mean, cheap Chinese stuff, with an app on my phone that can see my WiFi...
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Legit concern. Is it just so it can find the DHCP assigned address?

I have an Aiptek camera that came with a utility, but I went into my router and hard-coded its MAC address to a particular IP so I never have to use the finder program again.
 
Well, it won't connect to your WiFi without it's password. So there is that.

As to whether it's secure, who knows? The good news is that there are hundreds of millions of cameras nationwide, not even an entire army could monitor them all. I'd not be concerned about a driveway view. I'd be much more concerned if the cameras indicate motion inside the house.
 
True that, I did think of that, but it was more of, just what else can it access, once it "knows" my WiFi? I've not kept up on security stuff, other than to add 2 factor authentication to (most) things.

I'm guessing Apple is going to keep the app from free roaming on my phone, but I just don't know enough about the rest of the story here. I would like to ASSUME that they can't get any other data from me. Edit: it feels "wrong" to hand over my WiFi password... that is what is triggering second thoughts.

Now, having the world see my driveway, and the cars passing by... yeah, not worried about that aspect.
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Set up a guest network or similar that doesn't have access to any important data containing devices.

Many routers allow you to set up a guest net that has internet access, but doesn't have access to other devices in your home.

For smart home devices and cameras like these, a network dedicated to them makes sense. It limits exposure to your computing devices that have real live data.

Originally Posted by supton
Wife picked this camera up for us to install so we could see our driveway--due to the way our house is situated, anyone parking in front of the garage is invisible to us. I went to install it, using its WiFi connection, downloaded the app, and when it wanted the password for my WiFi... that gave me pause. Should I be worried about anything here? I mean, cheap Chinese stuff, with an app on my phone that can see my WiFi...
21.gif
 
Have an extra router laying around? Can plug it into your current one to broadcast a different name and password. Keep the channels different.
 
Personally, if possible (in that location), I'd just leave the wifi unused (never give it the password and turn the feature off if possible or if not possible to turn wifi off, take the antenna off to neuter its range) and string ethernet cable as it does have the RJ45 port for doing so. The lesser reason I'd do it is security. The larger reason is that I don't want a substantial chunk of my wifi bandwidth taken up by cams constantly streaming.

If you do take the antenna off and it's mounted outside, throw a piece of tape over, or rubber plug in the antenna mount socket to keep it from building up gunk and corrosion.

If you must use wifi but don't need remote access (over internet) away from home, you could use a router to assign a static IP address then set the router to block that IP (or done by its MAC address) from internet access. This will prevent it from reporting back to the mothership or from hackers getting into it over the internet, but still does not exclude the possibility of a backdoor they could access locally over wifi, or see the video stream if not encrypted sufficiently. There are kiddies that might try to do this just because they're bored, but otherwise if you don't have it port forwarded to the internet through a router, you'd have to be targeted locally rather than a random victim of internet port scanners.
 
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Originally Posted by eljefino
Legit concern. Is it just so it can find the DHCP assigned address?

I have an Aiptek camera that came with a utility, but I went into my router and hard-coded its MAC address to a particular IP so I never have to use the finder program again.

Good on you for doing this. I have of course my home network password protected but I also enabled Mac filtering because I have many IoT devices on my network.
 
What can someone do with your router password? All this password stuff if annoying enough without imagining potential threats.
 
Originally Posted by Leo99
What can someone do with your router password? All this password stuff if annoying enough without imagining potential threats.


They can figure out where you live (google has the MAC address of your router-- that's how your phone knows where it is even without GPS. They get it with their street view car.) Then they can use your free wifi for nefarious hacking purposes.
 
There's only so much you can do. If someone with pro skillz wants to break into your network there's not much you can do besides using strong passwords and ip/Mac filtering. Don't become a victim and do nothing because you're paralyzed by fear of "what if's"..
 
Even WPA and MAC filtering keep out the mid to low level folks. Elite hackers can break these with relative ease and enough time if they can get to your signal.

If you are that worried, return it and get to $400 one made in america....that used Chinese software development team to do the software and write the app. And do the testing...
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Gotta trust something.

My router lets me setup a guest network that can get on the wifi network but has internet access. This should prevent them from digging into your computers.

A seperate cheap wifi router is another option.
 
Other brands have a base station that is cat5'd to your router so no WiFi password needed. You need an account through the camera company and that's how it's secured. I'm not sure on this one. Photo and video is uploaded to a cloud and not stored on site. If somebody finds and destroys the base station, you still have the footage. Only downside to this is it doesn't work during power outages.

Regardless, I wouldn't have one where you want 100% privacy. Bedroom for example. Then again, Apple had a third party company that was listening to conversations with iPhones on night stands.
 
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Originally Posted by eljefino
Originally Posted by Leo99
What can someone do with your router password? All this password stuff if annoying enough without imagining potential threats.


They can figure out where you live (google has the MAC address of your router-- that's how your phone knows where it is even without GPS. They get it with their street view car.) Then they can use your free wifi for nefarious hacking purposes.


I have enough confidence that a hacker is not going to physically travel to my house to use my free wifi signal. They can just go to Starbucks or the public library if they need wifi signal. And I think they have easier ways of hacking into my bank account to steal money. That's already happened to me.

We have to perform our own risk/benefit analysis on many things in life. To me, sharing my wifi password on my security camera is low risk.
 
Originally Posted by Leo99
Originally Posted by eljefino
Originally Posted by Leo99
What can someone do with your router password? All this password stuff if annoying enough without imagining potential threats.


They can figure out where you live (google has the MAC address of your router-- that's how your phone knows where it is even without GPS. They get it with their street view car.) Then they can use your free wifi for nefarious hacking purposes.


I have enough confidence that a hacker is not going to physically travel to my house to use my free wifi signal. They can just go to Starbucks or the public library if they need wifi signal. And I think they have easier ways of hacking into my bank account to steal money. That's already happened to me.

We have to perform our own risk/benefit analysis on many things in life. To me, sharing my wifi password on my security camera is low risk.

+1 ðŸ‘
 
Thanks--wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something stupid. At work we seem to get reminded daily about internet security, so it's hard at times not to be paranoid.

While working on this I needed to find power, figured I'd tap the outside lights and put in a box with an outlet. One always wonders about where to cut the wire, but in this case, the prior electrician made the choice easy for me.
[Linked Image]
 
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This is an excellent demonstration of why a (loose) fished wire can survive better than a stapled one. (Just gets pushed out of the way.) Also why 2x4s should be facing the other way 'round, and why drywall screws are 1-5/8" long.
 
Originally Posted by Schmoe
That don't look like a 2x4....

It is. I'm not sure what the construction is, but as a non-load bearing outer wall, maybe it doesn't matter.
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From what I know, the garage was built off-site and delivered in some sort of kit form. Maybe this end piece was done that way too.

No idea what the cutout was for. For a 20 year old house it seems to be picking up a number of "why'd they do that?" as I go along. Anyhow, in the pic below you can see, the 2x4 is just spun 90 from where you'd expect in a wall.

[Linked Image]
 
Originally Posted by supton
Wife picked this camera up for us to install so we could see our driveway--due to the way our house is situated, anyone parking in front of the garage is invisible to us. I went to install it, using its WiFi connection, downloaded the app, and when it wanted the password for my WiFi... that gave me pause. Should I be worried about anything here? I mean, cheap Chinese stuff, with an app on my phone that can see my WiFi...
21.gif



You dont mention the brand camera but it doesnt really matter and wouldn't worry about it more then anything else you hook to your wifi network.
We use HikVison cameras and have one exactly like you describe in your driveway for the same exact reason. It certainly doesnt hurt to use name brands incase there is a security update, though most would never bother to check. There are so many wifi devices out there now, as well as all the online stuff, that hackers have info or can get info on anyone, we are just big fish in the sea, too many people/fish and only a few fishermen. Look at it this way, Close to or over 200 million Americans Social Security numbers are for sale on the dark web, a web camera is the least of all concerns. :eek:)
Anyone or anything is hackable, the pot of gold is too small by hacking a resident homeowner, if you have those skills you want to go bigger.

Anyway, not the slightest concern for me though I admit there are some good suggestions in here from people who seem to know what they are talking about and it certainly does not hurt to be diligent but that goes for everything you do on the internet.

Heck, all this security talk, I wonder who out of all these posts have even done the most basic, most important in their lifetime security measures that could bankrupt them.
Only a small percentage of Americans have done it, yet its free, simple, fast, permanent and the most important, yet basic step to securing your entire livelihood.

Question = how many people have contacted the 3 major credit agencies for a free credit lock on their credit?

For those who have,

Question, how many people have taken the additional step of getting a free credit lock on the minor more business related credit agencies other then the big 3?

Moral of my post? Dont yet worry about your wifi if you haven't taken the most basic free step to secure your financial health. :eek:)
You are a pot of gold if anyone can take out mortgages and loans in your name without you knowing it, yet you can prevent that by simply locking your credit and its free.
 
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