The method is efficient, but it doesn't completely protect your privacy

May 2, 2013 08:26 GMT  ·  By

Last week, we learned that a Texas judge refused to allow the FBI to spy on an individual suspected of fraud by hacking into his computer. Authorities sought the ability to collect information on the suspect’s Internet activity, but they also wanted to capture images from his webcam.

The judge denied the warrant, but he highlighted the fact that such an “investigative technique” might be authorized in the future.

Besides law enforcement agencies, governments and cybercriminals might also want to gain control of your webcam to spy on you.

This is why the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has published a short advisory to teach users how to protect themselves against laptop webcam hacking.

The method is not as sophisticated as one might expect. It doesn’t involve any software or other computer tricks.

Instead, the EFF advises users to cut out post-it notes so that they fit the upper part of the laptop. In case the post-its are somewhat transparent, an additional sticker should be placed on top of them.

Post-its are recommended because the adhesive used for them is reusable, allowing individuals to remove them and stick them back whenever necessary.

While this is a primitive method, it can be highly efficient against malicious software that can be used to spy on you via your webcam.

On the other hand, it’s clear that it can only protect users against this particular type of attacks. It’s well known that malware is usually designed to collect other information as well.

“Please keep in mind that malware, whether installed by the government or third-parties, can still own your computer and provide the attacker with logs of your activity, your location and even the keys you press,” the EFF’s Kurt Opsahl explained.

“These measures act as a kind of band-aid against surveillance (and some people use a band-aid for this purpose). It's a simple step that will mitigate the harm, but not a complete privacy solution.”