According to new research by Rapid7 Inc., some of the most widely-used, internet-connected baby monitors lack the most basic security systems making them easy targets for even a novice hacker. Not only does it frighten parents that a stranger can remotely monitor their children, the baby monitors can be used to access other Wi-Fi devices in a home, including other computers and home security systems.
Rapid7 tested 9 monitors produced by 8 companies ranging from $55 to $260. All the monitors were camera-enabled to allow parents to watch their children and all of them had “serious security problems and design flaws.” According to Mark Stanislav, a senior security consultant at Rapid7, “some had hidden, unchangeable passwords, often listed in their manuals or online, that could be used to gain access. In addition, some devices didn’t encrypt their data streams, or some of their Web or mobile features.”