A Minnesota family was the victim of a hacked nanny cam last week, as they learnt that the monitor they used to check on their baby was being watched and controlled by strangers overseas.
As Business Insider reports, the unnamed family learned of the hack when they heard mysterious music coming from the nursery, but the sound would fade out as soon as somebody entered. They also noticed that the camera's view had been repositioned after it had been left facing the wall.
After further investigation, the family found an unknown IP address attached to the nanny cam that could be traced back to Amsterdam. A website associated with the address led them to the shocking discovery of thousands of live feeds taken from the homes of families around the world.
"There's at least 15 different countries listed and it's not just nurseries - it's people's living rooms, their bedrooms, their kitchens," the mom said, in a report by KTTC. "Every place that people think is sacred and private in their home is being accessed."
The name of the website hosting the content has not been disclosed, but the Tech Times notes the similarity of the case to a Russian website that recently posted security camera feeds to "raise awareness" around password security. This warning follows similarly severe privacy breaches, including a case where a hacker used an internet-connected nanny cam to insult a toddler while they slept.
Regardless of the motivation, this creepy discovery highlights the importance of securing any cameras in your home with an internet connection. Learn exactly how to do that by reading our detailed how to guide.
