Can Blink Cameras Be Hacked – How To Check & Tips

A security camera is one of the most used surveillance methods in home or office premises. The modern cameras provide live monitoring and security streaming through a wireless connection. Amazon’s Blink cameras are often preferred by homeowners and business owners alike. These devices are easy to operate, require minimal maintenance and offer round-the-clock surveillance.

As these devices are wireless, often a lingering danger lurks from behind. That is the danger of hacking. Yes! You heard it right. Blinking security cameras, which can be accessed through the internet, are prone to hacking. But there is no such incident reported till now. Even though no blink camera has been hacked in the past, there is no issue in getting cautious.

If you have a blink camera at your home or office, you can take some precautionary steps. It can help you to prevent hacking of your camera and keep you secure. If you are interested to know, read till the end.

Blink Camera Security Protocols

The company which releases blink cameras has taken serious steps to prevent any kind of hacking. In this case, they usually maintain the standard protocols. These are:

1. Wpa2 Wi-Fi Encryption

The Blink cameras often stream the footage and operate using the Wi-Fi connection. In such cases, proper encryption prevents hacking through any wireless device. These devices usually use WPA2 Wi-Fi channels for encrypted streaming of footage. Moreover, the cameras also come with Advanced Encryption Standard or AES to secure your information.

2. Encrypted Video Footage

Blink cameras usually encrypt the recorded footage(video and still) for safekeeping. Due to encryption, any unauthorized access to the recorded footage is not possible. The proper encryption prevents data theft.

• Moreover, the cloud storages also use encryption for data storage. They usually use military-grade advanced encryption to ensure the data is stored in the cloud server with proper security. This encryption prevents even the company employees from accessing your data.

Can Blink Cameras Be Hacked?

The main question is-“Can Blink cameras be hacked?”

Well, the answer is a Yes!

According to Tenable Inc, one of the leading Cyber security firms, these cameras are vulnerable to hacking. The firm experimented with the latest Blink ST2 model. They found nearly seven unsafe pathways and vulnerabilities present in the wireless camera.

All these flaws can give access to the camera to a hacker. The hacker can even access the video camera footage, live audio feeds. Moreover, the hacker can further hack other home smart gadgets using the Blink camera.

How Can Cameras Be Hacked?

Blink cameras are like any other Internet of Things or IoT device. These devices can be hacked in two ways- remotely and locally.

• Local Hacking

In this case, the hacker is present within the range of the wireless network the blinking camera uses. They often obtain access to the local network using different methods. They may either use security breaches or even a jammer to block the real network and use a spoof network to gain access to the camera.

In local network hacking, the attacker can even gain access to your other IoT devices like Alexa or Siri. But, fortunately, local hacking is not possible in most cases because the hacker needs to be in close range.

• Remote hacking

In the case of Blink cameras, remote hacking is most common. The hackers often use a special method of “Credential Stuffing.” The scan for login information through other security gaps or data breaches. The breaches allow them to spy on your camera password and username. If they get their hands on your login credentials, they can hack your camera without your knowledge.

Moreover, hackers can also change the settings of your cameras and may even lock you out from the camera while taking total control of your surveillance devices.

• Security Vulnerabilities

Blink cameras have multiple security vulnerabilities. Any of these security vulnerabilities can allow unauthorized access to the cameras, resulting in spying, snooping, and footage and data theft. Hackers can even access the two-way audio streaming facility to spy on you.

One of the easiest ways is “credential stuffing.” Hence, if your device has gone through some unintended breaches, it can become an easy target for hackers.

Besides that, the cameras are also prone to “Lateral Movements.” Suppose multiple cameras are connected with a single network. One camera can even grant access to other ones. It is called lateral access. In case of hacking through lateral access, a hacker can even access your smart door lock, alarm, and smart devices like Alexa.

How to Check if the Blinking Camera is Hacked

Even though your Blink cameras are not easy to hack, there are chances of hacking. You can check for these signs to find traces of hacking in your camera-

• The Unusual Sound from the Camera

Blink camera comes with two-way audio streaming. That means you can listen to audio or give audio commands remotely to those you are watching. Hackers can use this two-way audio streaming during snooping.

If you notice any unnatural sound like faint talking, voices, etc., coming from your camera, take a note. You might be under cyber attack.

• Your Camera is Working Slowly.

In the case of hacking, often, the camera loses its efficiency. Most of the security cameras have limited memory. Hacking causes the CPU to work extra, which results in slow performance. Hence, if your device does not have any hardware problem but is slower than normal, it can have some security breaches.

• Your Password is Changed.

If you suddenly receive a message or email notification about password change or user credentials change, be alert. If you or any of your acquaintances with the credentials have not changed the password, it is a clear sign of hacking.

Tips To Protect Your Blink Cameras

Even though blink cameras are prone to hacking, there are ways to prevent it. You can take some precautions to protect your cameras and your privacy from being hacked.

• Keep Firmware Up To Date

Firmware is important if you are using IoT devices. Often the designers and manufacturers release regular firmware updates. The latest firmware updates come with better encryption and heightened security, resulting in less chance of hacking.

Hence, whenever there is a message regarding firmware updates take it seriously and upgrade to the latest version.

If you do not know the present firmware status of your surveillance camera, you can replace the batteries. This will instantly link your camera to the latest version and will go for an auto-update.

• Update Login Information

Often hackers gain access to your devices with your login credentials. The older credentials are more prone to data breaches as these are frequently used.  It can lead to “Credential stuffing.” That means your login credentials are vulnerable to hacking. Hackers can use the credentials to hack your surveillance camera.

The best practice is to regularly update the login credentials after a few months to ensure the safeguard of your cameras.

• Use Different Log-ins For Every Account

On the other hand, users often use the same password for multiple accounts for the convenience of remembering. It is another dangerous habit. You may think it is a convenient way, but it can lead to security breaches. Using the same password often allows hackers to obtain your credentials from one place and use them for another one.

Therefore, you need to be cautious. The best way is to use unique login credentials for each appliance and online accounts. This way, you can prevent any unauthorized use.

Here are some more ideas that you can follow-

• If possible, try to use a two-step login procedure for your security cameras. It offers more security and also notifies you in case of any unauthorized login attempt.
• You can use a VPN to prevent any device from unauthorized entry into the blink cameras.
• You can also place the cameras strategically so that it does not give direct access to your lavatories, changing rooms or personal meeting rooms. Instead, you can focus the camera in the entryways. If you monitor the baby, try to place cameras strategically to monitor your children without giving direct visual access to your valuable items.

Conclusion

Blink cameras are ideal for those who want to monitor their home or business premises remotely without being present in the place, But, being a wireless device, it is also prone to hacking. Even if there are not many reports about such hacking incidents, precaution is better.

Getting updated firmware, using unique login credentials, and some other measurements can help you prevent any kind of security breach through surveillance cameras.