What do Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and former FBI director James Comey have in common? They both cover up their laptop webcams for security reasons.
It’s not something most people think about, but hackers can activate your computer’s webcam to spy on you.
Prevent hackers from secretly recording you through a laptop webcam
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Several years ago, Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf said she was blackmailed by a former high school classmate who installed malware on her laptop, CNN reported.
The hacker used Wolf’s own camera to capture nude videos and pictures, which he then emailed to her in an extortion attempt.
Wolf always kept her laptop open in her bedroom while she listened to music or chatted with friends online, making it possible for the convicted creep to continue watching her for an entire year.
The beauty queen says she now covers her laptop’s camera with a sticker — and she’s not alone.
When Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg shared this photo in June 2016, an observant Twitter user noticed that the computer in the background had tape covering the camera and microphone jack.
Computer experts told the New York Times that the tape trick is a common security measure.
3 things about this photo of Zuck:
Camera covered with tape
Mic jack covered with tape
Email client is Thunderbird pic.twitter.com/vdQlF7RjQt— Chris Olson (@topherolson) June 21, 2016
Since hacking a computer’s webcam is relatively easy, it should come as no surprise that former FBI director James Comey puts a piece of tape over the camera.
He said it’s a common sense step that people should take to protect themselves, The Hill reported.
Besides using a sticker or tape to cover up the camera, be careful about downloading suspicious attachments and clicking on email links that could infect your PC with malware.
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