The holidays bring twinkling lights, family video calls, and… opportunistic scammers. One creepy tactic? Hijacking your webcam to watch, record, and extort (“sextortion”) victims. Paying a ransom only paints a bigger target on you—and attackers can still demand more later. Instead, harden your devices and keep your camera firmly under your control.
Quick Holiday To-Dos 🎄
- Use a physical cover. A simple webcam cover slider (or even a piece of opaque tape) blocks prying eyes between meetings. They’re inexpensive and fit laptops, tablets, and many monitors.
- Lock down camera permissions. In Windows/macOS/iOS/Android, disable camera access by default and allow only trusted apps. Review browser site permissions, too.
- Prefer devices with a shutter. Many monitors and smart displays include built-in privacy shutters. Keep them closed by default.
- Watch the LED—but don’t rely on it. A camera indicator light should turn on when in use, but some malware can bypass it. Treat it as a hint, not proof.
- Harden your system. Keep OS/apps patched, run reputable EDR/antivirus, use MFA everywhere, and remove sketchy extensions or “free” utilities.
- Secure phones & smart gear. Recheck app permissions, turn off background camera access, and cover or shutter smart-home cameras when hosting.
If You Suspect You’re Being Spied On (Don’t Panic)
- Cover the camera and disconnect from the internet (temporarily).
- Run a full malware scan and update your security tools.
- Audit installed apps/extensions; remove anything you don’t recognize.
- Rotate passwords and enable MFA for email and socials first.
- Preserve evidence (screenshots, messages) and do not pay. Report the incident to your IT/security contact and local authorities/platforms.
Extra Stocking Stuffers for Privacy
- Use a separate, external webcam you can unplug when not in use.
- Disable the camera in BIOS/UEFI if your model supports it.
- For shared spaces, add a camera-in-use sign to reduce accidental sharing during calls.
Keep the cheer, skip the snooping. A $5 cover and a few settings can stop a very Grinchy problem before it starts.
Need help hardening devices or rolling out company-wide privacy settings before year-end? Contact F8 Consulting for a free consultation.