Netiquette IQ Blog Of The Day - Another Sign Of The Demise Of Internet Privacy

Every day we read about new events such as spying, theft and sabotage on the Internet. It is hard to find anyone who believes significant privacy exists any longer. The following is still yet another twist to the mounting incidents of degradation. This particular situation has a very conflicting tone where a site does spy on people so it can inform them of their security weaknesses - all without permission. Please make your own judgement if you care to have these types of companies around.
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Is Internet Privacy Dead? This Creepy Website Could Be Streaming Footage Of You

Internet privacy could be a thing of the past, as revealed by a website which streams live footage from thousands of sources. This website, Insecam, could be watching you as well and you wouldn’t even know it.

The NSA could be secretly collecting your personal information without you knowing it, but this isn’t the NSA exploiting a weakness in your webcam security. Insecam is attempting to make a point of simply collecting data from non-secured cameras around the world to show us how important passwords are.

With the release of the Xbox One, fears escalated over how much we are being watched when Microsoft announced the latest Kinect. This was a high-tech camera with the ability to determine who is in front of it so nobody else can log in to your account. The fears of internet privacy came along when we realized it had to be on all the time.

Ubisoft’s release of the game Watch Dogs capitalized on the idea that anything can be hacked, by giving you a playable character who could do just that.

It seems that Ubisoft wasn’t far off when it came to camera hacking. Insecam has been discovered streaming footage from over 73,000 cameras around the world, including 11,000 in the U.S. alone.

The site claims to be making a statement about webcams, and the fact that so many owners fail to change their default passwords. It gives you a link to the vast number of cameras it has access to, along with serial numbers, passwords, and even where they can be located. The location is given as latitude and longitude coordinates you can check on Google Maps.

If you happen to find your own home being watched on Insecam, the site claims the solution is simple. Change your camera’s password and you’ll no longer be the potential victim of failed internet privacy as strangers around the world watch you without your knowledge.
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In addition to this blog, I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:
 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki
 If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo.  I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ Rider University and  PSG of Mercer County New Jersey.
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