cover your webcam!

So I was on my laptop a few days ago and I just had this weird feeling I was being watched, and when I looked up my webcam which is built in to my computer blinked green one time and then didn't do it again! Weird right? So I guess my question to you guys is, is it possible I was being watched on my webcam? and what did that flash of my green light mean? I did some research and found this: www.ehow.com...

and this: www.the33tv.com...

please read these links, and for your own sake cover your webcam, or turn it off!




but although my research uncovered the links above, what it didn't tell me is what that one flash of my LED light on my webcam was! I have a Dell inspiration, and if anyone can tell me what it was I would be overjoyed. Cause I am freaking out right now!

definitely possible,
if your are infected with a trojan also known as a RAT (remote admin tool) these people are able to start your webcam, among other harmful things

not sure if i can post this here but going to anyway...

admin/mod can delete this link if they want
hackforums.com has lots of info on trojans and bots

reply to post by XxRagingxPandaxX


Anything is possible, usually the best thing to do is disable any device your not using all the time.

If you are connected to the internet, then yes you could have been watched!

Just a fact of hacking, only way to be safe is to disconnect it!

I wouldn't masturbate infront of a webcam if it was on or off!

Better to be safe then sorry.

And watch your speakers too...
2nd

[edit on 7/1/10 by Ophiuchus 13]

Yes its very possible but was it happening to you, I don't know? Maybe they saw you weren't doing anything interesting In all seriousness though I saw that a major news channel was doing a little segment on how people can hack into anything with bluetooth and can access it remotely. Maybe you should check your bluetooth settings.

It's not uncommon for this to happen apparently. Last March a Pa school was sued because the laptops they issued to their students were being surveilled, and webshots were taken of the students at home. Here's one of the many links to the story

I put tape or a sticker over the camera as soon as I buy a computer.

I don't trust it.

Yup, you can get yourself your own trojan built for you in hack forums that can turn on your webcam and access and control virtually everything on your computer. Millions on computers are already infected, its alleged that some of largest networks of bot-nets(infected computers) may be operated by governments, it would surprise me if this wasn't true.

I guess they could use the webcams to get face pics of otherwise anonymous internet users, so it maybe a good idea to watch what you post or cover your cams if your paranoid, but I doubt big brother just watches you as you type on your keyboard...

Originally posted by OuttaTime
It's not uncommon for this to happen apparently. Last March a Pa school was sued because the laptops they issued to their students were being surveilled, and webshots were taken of the students at home. Here's one of the many links to the story

ha they claimed it was for theft-tracking, the first think i would do if i stole a laptop is install my full version of windows on it, formatting the hard-drive first ofcourse

thats just wrong

There was a recent case of schools issuing laptops and monitoring students at home, without anyone being told.


thehill.com...

Yes it's totally possible. My wofe's has come on on it's own from time to time! It's rather creepy too. I do just like one of the other posters said and put a piece of tape over the webcam on our computers and over the microphone as well!

The iphone spies...

gizmodo.com...

Government, Industry To Use Computer Microphones To Spy On 150 Million Americans


www.prisonplanet.com...

I wouldnt worry too much about it. I have an inspiron which has an led beside the webcam also. It flashes from time to time and has since the day it was new. It has even been formatted and has no viruses.

I think its just the webcam service restarting all the time.

just my .02

reply to post by XxRagingxPandaxX


I have a dell laptop as well. I noticed that the light turns on whenever the cam is active.

Now heres a REAL conspiracy question.

Does your laptop(webcam), like mine, blink once when you turn it on? Mine does. As someone who is doing computers in school, I cannot think of ONE good reason why my webcam NEEDs to blink when i turn it on.

The only thing i can think of is-
It snaps a picture of whoever is infront of it. Is this some sort of security measure I didnt sign up for? does every picture it captures get loaded onto some web server? It just irks me to think that they are doing this, and I wouldnt put it past them one bit.

anyone know anything about this?

Just to be on the safe side - turn your cam off, cover it - also turn off speakers. Hackers are smart - they can do just about anything if they want to. Also I wouldn't want Big Brother spying - I know they are capable of doing so.

reply to post by spewn
Thank you so much spewn, you have put my mind at peace!

best thing to do if you think u are infected and someone is watching you through your webcam is to get a firewall, i use comodo free firewall i think its awesome, and pay attention to the things that you are allowing, if your unsure about something just block it

Only members of the Inner Party can turn it off. [1984 reference for those out of the loop]

But seriously, if you have a built in microphone disable that as well.

[edit on 7/1/2010 by this_is_who_we_are]