Researchers discover 40,000 private webcams exposed online: how to secure yours now

• Default passwords and outdated firmware are turning your home camera into a public livestream, report warns
• Thousands of exposed webcams are offering a front-row seat into private and corporate life
• A simple web browser is all it takes to peek into 40,000 unsecured camera feeds

Thousands of internet-connected webcams, intended to enhance safety and convenience, are now unintentionally offering a window into private lives and secure environments.

Research by Bitsight claims over 40,000 webcams around the world are publicly accessible online, often without their owners’ knowledge.

These include security cameras, baby monitors, office surveillance systems, and even devices inside hospitals and factories.

A growing digital threat, not a hypothetical one

The investigation highlights just how easily accessible these cameras are.

“No passwords. No protections. Just out there,” wrote João Cruz, Principal Security Research Scientist at Bitsight TRACE, noting it requires neither elite hacking skills nor ...