SINGAPORE - If you own a webcam and are using the default password, there is a chance that your video feed is being broadcast over the Internet.
Insecam.com, which gained attention last week, reportedly displays over 73,000 webcam feeds from around the world, and 785 are supposedly from Singapore.
The feeds are taken off publicly accessible servers, using the camera's default passwords that give new users access to the device. Owners are usually reminded to change the password once they have the cameras up and running.
Most of the cameras are close circuit TV and IP cameras, and not cameras found on laptops, tablets or computers. The locations of the feeds range from homes and offices, to cafes and carparks.
The site also lists the brand of the camera, and the default password used to access the feed. It also provides the location and zipcode of the feed, but not the exact address of the camera.
Popular webcam brands named on the site include Foscam, Panasonic and Linksys.
According to Motherboard, who first reported on the site, the alleged administrator of Insecam claimed that the site was meant to highlight poor user security, and not as a tool for voyeurs.
According to the site's FAQ page, webcam owners can request for their feed to be taken down. As of this morning, several feeds on the site have gone dark.
While random links to unsecured IP camera feeds have been available on the Internet, this is the first time that an aggregator has collected feeds from around the world, and hosted them on a website.
