Your family’s privacy may be violated by everyday-looking cameras that are concealed in a vacation home or hotel room without your knowledge.
We’ve seen it happen, but how do you stop it?
A hidden camera detector can be purchased online in the same manner as hidden cameras. 5 On Your Side put detectors to the test to see how well they function.
Four distinct cameras were concealed in a house by our team. A USB adapter-like one and a smoke detector-like one were both used as cover. Two additional cameras were tucked away in secret spots. All were bought for between $20 and $50 each online.
Keely Arthur, a consumer reporter for WRAL, was unable to locate the cameras without the aid of two camera detectors because she was unaware of their appearance or location. These detectors can also be purchased online for $40 to $50.
Keely used the detectors’ two primary features—a red light that highlights camera lenses and a beep that warns of wireless signals—to search two rooms for the hidden cameras after receiving training.
The first camera was hidden in a stuffed animal, and it took almost six minutes of searching to find it. However, the same detector went right by two additional cameras without sounding an alarm.
The team quickly noticed a hidden camera in the smoke detector after switching to the backup detector.
With the lens-finding light, Keely identified a third camera.
“There’s certain optics in there that are going to reflect light a little bit differently than, say, a pane of glass,” explained Tracy Wallace, director of content at INE.com and an expert in cybersecurity.
Because they were WiFi-connected and sending out a signal, as opposed to the other cameras, which weren’t, the detectors alerted on the smoke alarm and a camera hidden in a stuffed animal. Wallace claims that the lens light is an essential component because of this.
“We saw it was detecting, but then it also has got the actual visual indicator which I think is really useful and probably of the two, maybe even more important,” Wallace said.
Keely found three of the four cameras in 20 minutes, but both detectors also generated a lot of false alarms.
“You need to know what a positive looks like, and you’re going to get false positives,” Wallace warned.
Testing it out on a device you know is transmitting a signal, such as your computer, WiFi hotspot, or cell phone, will help you determine what a positive signal looks like. Test to see what it appears like when a camera is highlighted by the detector’s light.
“Even knowing I’m supposed to be looking for these [cameras] and I have the devices, it’s really hard,” After the test, Keely said.
In our test, these gadgets did function, and Wallace agreed with our conclusions.
Read More: Do Security Cameras Have Audio?
Source: WRAL
