About the Author: Lisa Carlson has been reporting ground breaking news stories for us for 4 years. She’s a graduate of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
When Sarah Michaelson decided to get a home computer with Internet access for her family to use, she thought she had everything under control when itcame to keeping her kids safe. “I knew that there were predators out there that could use the Internet to hurt my kids, so I wanted to make sure I had all my bases covered when it came to that,” says Michaelson.
Unfortunately, things didn't work out quite as planned for Michaelson and her family. “I had put all the recommended precautions into place,” she says.
computer's webcam was on, though no one was actively at the desk and using the computer. “At first, I just figured that one of the kids had left the cam on,” says Michaelson, “But I remembered reading something in the news recently about people being able to exploit computers and I got nervous.” Michaelson asked her children if any of them had been using the webcam that day, and all of them said no. “When it happened again a couple of nights later, I knew something serious was going on.”
The Michaelsons took their new PC to a computer technician who
discovered what's called “harmware” on her computer. Someone had been remotely manipulating her family's webcam to turn it on even when no one was using it, to spy on her children and herself as they went about their day to day tasks. “I was horrified,” Michaelson recalls. “Still am. I went right home and began to research the problem. I didn't want to take away my kids' computer, because they used it for homework and we all used the webcam to talk to family that lives out of state, but I absolutely knew I had to make it more safe for all of us.”
That research led Michaelson to a solution. “Most people don't realize it, but whenever you do something online, all of the information that is sent is easy enough to pick up free and clear by anyone determined to do it,” she says. “The usual precautions are no longer enough if you want to protect your privacy, because you need to go a little further now. Otherwise, everything you do, look at, and even type – from passwords to emails – is open season for a hacker. And that includes the ability to manipulate your webcam.”
So what was Michaelson's solution? After all of that research, she came upon a solution that made her feel secure in knowing that her computer was now safe from this spyware and these hackers. “My research taught me that while I had been doing many of the right things already, I needed to go one step further. Now we use a service called a "Virtual Private Network". It offers full encryption for all of the data we send over the 'net, and that means we can't be exploited like we had been before.”
My name is Sarah Michaelson and I am the proud mother of 2 kids, aged 9, and 7. I live in Sacramento, Ca. with my husband of 13 years. My family and I experienced the very real dangers of unsecured Internet connections first hand, so when I came upon Virtual Private Networks as a solution for keeping my family safe without having to cut them off from the Internet entirely, I felt like I just had to get the word out to the other families out there, too.
I enjoy spending time with my family, working my job as a registered nurse, reading and crafts with the kids in my spare time (not that there's much of it with the kids and husband running around!).
Please Remember to keep comments respectful at all times. Comments that are offensive, threatening, or that are
unrelated to this news story will be removed without notice.
| First name | ||
| Last name (Optional) |
||
| E-mail wiil be not publish | ||
 |
||
Wow, I had no idea that someone could get access to a webcam without even being on the computer your webcam is hooked up to or being invited to view it. My kids use a webcam to talk to family around the country (we are very far flung) so I am going to check out your suggestion for that encryption service right now. Thank you.
I really didn't know this was even possible. I thought spyware only tracked ad views or something! I didn't know they could do other things with it like this! Scary!
This happened to me, too. Someone got hold of my credit card numbers by using a keylogger and racked up a huge bill, and a lot more. I've been using proxpn since it happened, though, and haven't had a problem since. I highly recommend it, too!
Hi, Sarah! My name is Lisa, and I experienced something very similar to what happened to you and your family. I'm so glad you posted this, because now I know what to do. A couple of weeks ago, I also saw the light on my daughter's webcam coming on when it shouldn't. Unfortunately, my daughter's computer and her webcam are in her bedroom! Who knows who was on the other end of the camera, watching my baby like that. It scared the life out of me. I unhooked the cam completely and put it away, but now I'll get that virtual private network so she can still use the cam to talk to her grandparents on the other side of the country. Thanks so much for this!
Internet Security
Introduction to Internet security using personal firewalls, anti-virus....
Best-Internet-Security
Virtual Private Network
Web-Based VPN Service!
Easy to Use. Free Trial
ProXPN.com
Online Protection For Children
Protect what your children see and who can talk to them. More effective than any “nanny” service.
HomeChildrenSafety
Harmware Computer Protection
Harmware can destroy your computer, be sure to protect yourself.
harmwaredestroyer
Unlimited Bandwidth VPN
No Software, Hide Your IP, Secure
Quick Setup, 24x7 Support, Est 1995
ConcealIP
Complete Online Anonymity
Hide your IP and your name. Secure
email and secure instant messaging.
YourIPAddressMask
I did a little research myself on vpn's and I came across this video. If you can’t say you’re 100% certain your computer is safe - or even if you think you can say that - then you need to watch this video.