Is Your Baby Monitor Being Hacked?

On more than one occasion, parents have been horrified to learn that strangers have been hacking into their baby monitor, spying on the child, speaking into the room and even controlling the camera.

According to this story in the San Francisco Globe, a Washington discovered someone had hacked their baby monitor. Their son had been telling his parents that he was afraid at night because someone was talking to him. They didn’t understand, until one night they heard the voice.

Sarah, the toddlers mother, walked into the baby’s room and hear someone speaking through the monitor. She also realized that someone was controlling the night-vision camera and following her.

The SFG reports that this type of crime is becoming more common, evidenced by the same kind of story reported here by ABC News. In this account, a Houston family heard a man cursing in their daughter’s bedroom. This hacker had a British-sounding accent and was also controlling the camera. This family has decided that they may never use the monitor again.

Click the video below to watch the story of an Ohio family whose camera was hacked as well:

With so many baby monitors in use, it is understandable that parents are nervous about this happening to them. What is the solution?

Parry Aftab, a lawyer specializing in internet privacy interviewed by ABC News has some tips:

1. Keep a password. Without a password, anyone can use the Wi-Fi and gain access to the monitor too.

2. Guard your computers and passwords from people who may have access, particularly babysitters and housekeepers.

Dave Hatter is quoted by FOX19 news as suggesting that another safeguard is to make sure the password on your Wi-Fi is different from the password on your camera. In addition he suggests keeping current on updates for the camera. This can be done by checking the product’s website frequently.

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