Indeed, the vulnerabilities in CCTV surveillance systems in the context of numerous cyber threats would rank top if cyber-attacks on the CCTV system is counted. You can beyond doubt admit the importance of cyber security concerns if your CCTV surveillance system is located in the same location where your network functions. Protecting your CCTV devices then becomes inevitable and adequate maintenance of the surveillance system is not an easy task rather absolutely critical.
One of the most important vulnerabilities of CCTV surveillance system is default camera passwords. Each camera normally gets a default easy password and you need to change it to a strong password while installing it. Most CCTV surveillance owners ignore this simple aspect which would protect them from potential cyber dangers. Remember, the CCTV camera default passwords are published on the internet and anyone can access it easily. Consider your CCTV camera and surveillance devices as computer systems and treat the surveillance devices with the same importance.
Your CCTV surveillance remote video is a hot thing for many reasons. Eventually, obtaining easy access to your security cameras from anywhere by anyone is the first most important vulnerability. In most VMS or Video Management System, the CCTV surveillance is the doorway to the network to access the video streams. Ultimately, this creates the opportunity forhackers to enter into the network and exploit the entire network. However, there are advanced VMS available presently to deny and eliminate the unauthorised and unwanted inbound requests.
Another critical CCTV surveillance vulnerability often neglected is the older and un-updated software and firmware. As per the IPVM the leading independent information source for surveillance video, as many as 35 vulnerabilities have been published within the last couple of years and brought to the notice of worldwide manufacturers of surveillance devices. The IPVM further claims that no manufacturers took notice of these vulnerabilities and a few manufacturers who had the maximum of vulnerabilities patched their systems. Often, the vulnerabilities are never patched by the system owners or the users.
Everyone very well knows if the vulnerabilities persist in the CCTV surveillance system. Your camera setting can be hacked and changed overnight or disabled resulting in complete loss of your video data. Once the vulnerabilities are identified by the hackers your camera configuration would get tampered and your recorded files are forcefully corrupted. The hackers can go up to the extent of accessing your live or recorded images or video and exploit or expose them to the views of the public.
