Webcam stalking: fact or fiction?

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Is a taped-over webcam or phonecam a sign of paranoia – or smart thinking?

Just a decade ago, people who taped over their webcam were seen as a little eccentric, shall we say. Fast forward to today, and many laptop models feature a built-in privacy shutter that lets you cover the webcam with a single swipe. Useful, yes – but if the mic is still on, the overall benefit is less clear. Is it still worth covering your webcam in 2024, or is such practice a relic of the past?

Spies in the woodwork

Ever heard of spyware? That’s what we call Trojans designed for spying and stalking. And just like they did ten years ago, many members of this family are still spying on victims through their webcam and mic. Back then, however, malware was limited mostly to taking webcam screenshots, while today, besides this, it can steal passwords from the clipboard, intercept keystrokes, remotely control your device, and play cat-and-mouse with security solutions (but not with ours). One example is the SambaSpy Trojan, which was recently discovered by our experts.

As for peeping, attackers’ motives can vary: some are just voyeurs; others might organize commercial surveillance against a CEO; still others might add such functionality to their malware on the off-chance that something interesting crops up.

Tracking can take many forms, and we’ve covered them all many times. But how to defend yourself? There are many protection methods, but they can all be divided into two groups: physical and software. Meanwhile, for those without reliable protection, covering the webcam, turning off the mic, and checking the permissions granted to newly installed programs is a no-brainer.

How to physically guard against webcam and mic surveillance

Physical protection methods are both useful and inconvenient at the same time, and compromises have to be made to ensure your privacy. What to do?…

Buy a device without a webcam or mic

Just think: intruders won’t be able to spy and eavesdrop even if they somehow get malware onto your device. But it’s hard to find such devices these days, and in most cases they’ll be either outdated or very low-performance. That said, some companies are modifying smartphones on the market by removing cameras: how do you like, for example, the non-camera iPhone? Such devices are in high demand at government and military agencies and restricted-access facilities, and even by highly religious people.

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