Cover up your webcam when not in use!!
Childnet International, a non-profit working to keep kids safe on the Internet, has issued a stern warning to computer owners today: Hackers can take over webcams without your knowledge, so keep them covered up when not in use.
Once your computer is infected by a Trojan virus – often acquired by visiting the wrong website or by opening malicious email attachments – criminals can control your webcam without your knowledge. These types of hackings are rapidly becoming big business: The BBC has uncovered an entire industry centering on the buying and selling of access to compromised webcams, especially those owned by women.
Ultimately, your best protection against such a hacking is to make sure your computer is running up to date anti-virus software. But there are other computer safety precautions you can take as well. “Pointing your webcam at a wall or covering it up can be good practice,” explains Childnet Chief Executive Will Gardner. He also recommends shutting laptop lids when they’re not in use, as cameras are often found immediately above laptop screens.
Independent computer security experts are urging people not to panic over the report, but otherwise confirm that there’s no harm in a little bit of added security to protect your privacy. “The idea of sticking a piece of paper over your webcam is reasonably common among the more paranoid members of the hacker community,” said Josh White, a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, to the BBC. “But it’s not necessarily paranoid. It’s useful to be aware.”
Read more: http://www.techlicious.com/blog/warning-cover-up-your-webcam-when-not-in-use/#ixzz2YpNR2SqC
Mrityunjay Kumar is a multifaceted innovator — a tech entrepreneur by profession and a storyteller by passion. As Co-Founder and Director of Technology Strategy, he has led transformative initiatives in the startup ecosystem, architecting scalable solutions and aligning technology with long-term business vision. In 2025, Mrityunjay made his literary debut with Pagalpanthy – If You Had Loved Someone, a soul-stirring coming-of-age novel that explores the fragile beauty of young love, emotional vulnerability, and the chaos of unspoken feelings. Inspired by a true story shared with him nearly a decade ago, the novel traces the journey of Mrinal and Soumya across Kota, Bhubaneswar, and Dubai — blending themes of mentorship, heartbreak, and healing. A computer engineer by education and a dreamer by choice, Mrityunjay’s work — both in tech and fiction — reflects his deep empathy for human experiences that technology often overlooks. His writing is conversational, raw, and authentic, resonating with readers who’ve loved in silence or lost without closure. When he’s not building tech or writing stories, he enjoys long walks, nostalgic music, and connecting with readers who find pieces of themselves in his pages.
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