Are Your Security Cameras a Security Risk? What to Check Before You Plug In

Security cameras are supposed to protect your business. Set up carelessly, they do the opposite: a camera is a small computer on your network, often running old software, sometimes reachable from anywhere on the internet. Here's what to check on the cameras you already have, and what to look for in new ones. We install and manage camera systems, so I see the difference between a system that was set up well and one that was installed and forgotten.

The usual weak spots

• Default passwords. Many cameras and video recorders ship with a standard admin password that's published online. If nobody changed it, anyone who finds the device can log in.
• Recorders open to the internet. Older systems were often set up with a port opened on the router so the owner could watch from home. That same opening lets the rest of the internet try to log in.
• Software that never updates. Camera firmware gets security fixes, but only if someone installs them. Many systems run the same version they were installed with years ago.
• Cheap consumer cameras on the business network. A camera bought online for the back room often connects to a cloud service you know nothing about, using an app on someone's personal phone.
• Everyone can watch. Shared logins mean you can't tell who viewed or downloaded footage, or remove a former employee's access.

Check the cameras you have

• Change every default password, and give each person their own login.
• Find out how you watch remotely. If the answer is "an open port on the router", replace it with a secure method.
• Update the camera and recorder firmware, and set a reminder to check every few months.
• Put cameras on their own separate network, so a compromised camera can't reach your computers and files.
• Remove cameras and apps nobody manages anymore.

What to look for in a new system

• Cloud management from a business-grade vendor, with automatic security updates.
• Multi-factor sign-in and individual user accounts, with a log of who viewed or exported footage.
• No open ports on your router for remote viewing.
• Clear control over where video is stored and for how long.
• A vendor that publishes how it handles security and fixes problems.

Privacy is part of it too

Cameras capture employees and customers. Post clear notices, keep cameras out of places where people expect privacy, and limit who can view recordings. Wisconsin law limits recording people where they expect privacy, and recording conversations that no one present has agreed to, so get advice before adding audio or covering sensitive areas.

If you're not sure how your system was set up, that alone is a good reason to have it checked. It's a short job, and it closes a door most businesses don't know is open. If you're not sure how your cameras were set up, we'll take a look.