Security Systems Get Hacked Too

By Mehrdad Farjadian

In 1995, a movie called Hackers debuted showing the life of a group of young cyber criminals and what kind of trouble they can cause. Hacking is still an ongoing problem today and as a result has crept into the security market through integrated information systems. By gaining access to important security systems, hackers could cost you a lot of money. In this article I’ll share some tips that can help you keep this cyber intrusion away from your home or business.

Generally, most technologically savvy people get excited about the idea of being able to turn on lights, view security cameras, and control other gadgets at home. Thanks to new technologies like the Smart Phone users can now control their home systems remotely. Unfortunately, there are criminals learning how to break into those very same systems despite increased security and continual improvements in technology. As you log in to review footage on your digital video recorder or control feature of your Smart Home, a cyber thief could be following your every move. The best way to keep these so called cyber criminals from hacking into your system is to use encryption. If you leave any part of your system unencrypted, you’ve already created a huge vulnerability.

Many people in the residential market or in small businesses do not need to go to such extremes as encrypting video feeds. However, encrypting video feeds may be necessary if your goal is to protect priceless property or avoid issues you may have had in the past with people trying to steal certain items. It’s quite possible that a hacker could infiltrate your system and corrupt these feeds if left exposed.

Some DVRs have a watermark feature to aid in preventing theft. If you’re viewing a feed remotely, a watermark could be hugely beneficial. This feature can help a viewer tell the difference between a genuine feed and a fake.

I also recommend changing user names and passwords on a regular basis. Frequency is up to you and changes may need to be made more often depending on who has access to this information. The simplest mistake to avoid is leaving your system with the factory default login of admin/admin or 12345. Login information like this is what hackers are going to try first. In fact, many customers have asked me to log into their systems and when I request their user name and password, they often respond saying, ‘I don’t know who set it up. I just have it saved to auto log in’. This is not a good practice and won’t keep your system secure. Remember if you want to keep your security system safe from hackers, you must, first, keep it safe from a 5 year old.

Following the steps I have outlined in this article could help your company prevent losses and reduce overall security risks. We have entered a new age of security where IP and information technology have become a part of normal integration and we must realize that security needs security too.

About the Author: Nelson Futrell is a security sales and integration expert. He enjoys sharing his vast knowledge of CCTV products and installation techniques with others. Nelson currently works for ApexCCTV where customers can find the best CCTV Security Cameras at the lowest price.

Source: isnare.com

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