CCTV has become an essential and permanent part of today`s security landscape, but like any security system, its vulnerabilities need to be understood and mitigated.

CCTV is a surveillance tool that provides recorded and real-time monitoring capabilities of areas of interest to the end user. However, if a technically skilled adversary were to access the system`s feed or stored data, it could become a highly effective eavesdropping tool for collecting sensitive information in the workplace and threatening privacy at home.

Below are five simple steps that you can follow to help prevent your work or home CCTV system from being hacked.

Avoid Analog

This is perhaps the simplest step you can take to avoid CCTV hacks. Although most modern CCTV systems rely on digital and IP technology, some new and legacy models still broadcast wireless analog signals. These signals can be intercepted and demodulated by eavesdroppers, often from over a hundred meters away, using simple devices that cost a few hundred dollars.

Like analog cordless phones, wireless analog CCTV provides no security from eavesdroppers. Any business that utilizes security cameras in secure spaces that broadcast analog signals should assume that its sensitive information has been compromised and conduct a business impact assessment.

Go Silent

Some CCTV cameras contain microphones. If a microphone-enabled camera is placed in an information-rich environment, say, above a secretary`s desk or just outside a conference room, it may be capturing conversations that have business intelligence value. In essence, microphone-enabled cameras can act as a room bugs, broadcasting or recording room audio 24/7.

Check your cameras` specs and recording setting to see if potentially sensitive audio is being recorded. If there is no requirement for audio, switch it off. Better yet, install cameras that don`t contain microphones so there are no audio settings to manipulate.

Aim Carefully

CCTV should surveil sensitive areas, not sensitive information.

If you have cameras pointed at controlled access areas, ensure that they cannot view keypads as people enter their access codes.

Cameras in printing rooms or reception areas should not be pointed so that they can view sensitive documents, such as itineraries, proprietary information, or classified materials.

In areas that contain sensitive information, non-PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras should be installed, as PTZ functionality allows operators to aim and zoom in on documents, computer screens, or other sensitive material.

Restrict Monitor and Data Access

Your security protocols must strictly limit monitor and data access to those that have a legitimate need. Answer the following questions to evaluate your security protocols for potential vulnerabilities:

• Are off-duty employees, cleaners, facility mangers, or friends of security personnel able to access the security office and view monitors and access stored data? Without strict security office access control measures in place, adversaries could access your CCTV system`s data directly at the source without needing to hack the system.
• If you`re in a shared facility, does your CCTV wiring go through areas controlled by other occupants? Depending on the technology used, a wire split at any appearance point along the distribution could allow eavesdroppers to monitor your system from a covert location on the premises.
• Who has remote monitoring access to your CCTV system? IT must regularly review network data logs to ensure that unauthorized persons and devices aren`t accessing your CCTV system. Personal mobile phones used to access the CCTV server remotely could contain malware, allowing eavesdroppers to view everything on the device`s screen in real time.

Involve IT

CCTV systems are usually installed by contractors that train security in the system`s operation before moving on to the next job. Consequently, it`s easy for IT to find itself cut out of the loop. This is a mistake.

Because CCTV is increasingly IP-based and susceptible to malware, social engineering, and brute force attacks, it`s imperative that the full suite of defensive measures – password management, firmware updates, IDS, firewalls, and log analysis – be deployed to protect the system. Additionally, IT should work with contractors to ensure that the system`s wiring is secured by placing in tamper-resistant conduit and, if possible, inside walls.

These responsibilities are usually beyond the scope of corporate security and fall within IT`s domain. As such, IT must take an active role in managing the security of your organization`s CCTV system, even if it`s segregated from the main network.

The Bottom Line

CCTV is a vital security asset and is here to stay; however, the very attributes that make CCTV so useful from a security perspective also make it an ideal espionage and eavesdropping tool. By following the five steps above, you can significantly decrease your risk of falling victim to a CCTV hacks.