The use of webcams has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic confined us to our homes. Those who can telecommute need to connect with the rest of the team and the use of videoconferencing is one of the preferred ways of communication.
To these must be added the millions of students who connect remotely with teachers and centers, and everything that comes from personal video calls to family and friends.
It is not surprising that the price of some series of webcams has risen due to high demand, as well as access to large business collaboration services and downloading of video conferencing applications on mobiles and PCs.
Of course, they are very useful in providing us video and audio communication, but we must not forget their security, even more so in these times of increased use and malware campaigns that as usual take advantage of the media pull of all this.
Web cameras, better off if not in use
The image of duct tape covering the camera of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's personal computer went around the world.
The fact that the head of the largest social network on the planet considered it necessary to cover the webcam caused a great media noise about the security and privacy of these devices.
And the debate is not over, although the story goes back a long way. Spying through webcams has been a known issue for more than a decade and has been carried out with various techniques and objectives.
Therefore, there are not a few users and/or professionals who decide to deactivate this component. Today we are going to remind you of some methods to disable the webcam when it is not in use, but which at the same time are reversible for other times that you need to use it.
Cover the lens
If you see a sticker on the top frame of a laptop, or on a dedicated webcam that we place on top of the monitors, you know what it means.
the method destroys the aesthetics of your brand new laptop, less sloppy dedicated solutions can be purchased that are very inexpensive and can slip off at will, covering the lens or not.
There is a lot of offer on for privacy cover-based webcams and some manufacturers offer it almost by default as we saw in the market called CASE U HW3 Webcam with Privacy Shutter
It is a simple and effective method, but there are some considerations to take into account. This method avoids spying on video, but not on audio because the webcam is still working.
Unplug the webcams
As simple as that. Many desktop PC users use an external webcam usually placed on top of the monitor. Unplugging the USB connector is a foolproof method that works regardless of hardware or operating system.
As they support the plug-and-play feature, it will take a second to reconnect it when you need to use it.
Deactivation in the operating system
You can also disable the webcam at the system level quickly in a couple of steps. In Windows operating systems, it is generally done by disabling or removing the component from the Control Panel> Device Manager> Imaging devices.
In the latest versions of Windows 10 it is even easier since you can disable both the camera and the microphone with a simple click from the Settings tool> Privacy> Camera:
Conclusion:
Videoconferencing is a preferred tool for business collaboration and personal communication, with an increase in explosive use in the times that we have had to live. However, webcams are extremely dangerous devices in the hands of cybercriminals and it doesn't hurt to take care of their security when not in use. We suggest you always buy webcams from Trusted company and use Privacy shutter based Webcams
