If you don’t cover your webcam you could end up.........................

If you don't cover your webcam you could end up a 'slave'

Someone could be watching

Mark Zuckerberg does it. The FBI does it. And you should do it too.

No, not collecting mass amounts of data through surveillance – this is about webcams, and how you could be letting people around the world into your bedroom without having any idea you’re doing it.

It’s easy to imagine it’s paranoid to tape over your webcam, or paint over it with nail varnish.

But if you don’t, you could end up some hacker’s ‘slave’.

To find out exactly what could happen we spoke to security expert Candid Wueest, who works with Symantec.

He said there are whole communities where people boast about the unsuspecting users whose computers they have taken control of and who they watch for fun.

There are secret forums where people discuss those they control (Picture: Symantec)

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People just laughed at this poster who expressed sympathy (Picture: Symantec)

Often they will have no idea that they’re under surveillance, and that their daily activities are being uploaded to web forums where hackers ridicule them for being ‘stupid’ enough to be vulnerable.

‘Unfortunately there are some people just doing it for the fun of it, having power over others,’ Candid said.

The way it works is that people somehow download malware onto their laptop – often by clicking a suspicious link – which installs software to take over the computer.

Hackers can then see everything you visit online, what you type on the keyboard, the files you open, and they can control your webcam and microphone.

Don’t worry, he ‘just spied on them and then left them alone’ (Picture: Symantec)

Interesting ethics here (Picture: Symantec)

Some try to make money out of it, for example via ‘sextortion’ (if someone masturbates in front of a laptop, hackers can threaten to post the video on your Facebook and LinkedIn if you don’t pay a ransom).

But some just get kicks out of being able to see people, having a keyhole into their lives which they don’t know about.

Suddenly I don’t feel so complacent about my laptop, which could be ‘a CCTV camera watching everything I do, not controlled by me’.

Some just get kicks out of being able to watch people (Picture: Getty)

‘There’s an underground economy, forums where people brag about how many people have fallen victim,’ Candid said.

If hackers control the speakers, they can play haunting noises or voices while you’re in front of the laptop, just to watch how you react.

‘If they have someone who really freaked out or cried in front of the machine, they boast about that,’ he said.

‘It’s one of the ugliest types of cyber bullying we’ve seen.’

Candid Wueest said taping over the camera is one of the simplest but most effective ways to protect yourself.

‘I cover up mine, on all my laptops, and just uncover it when I need to use it,’ he told Metro.co.uk.

The risk is real. Hackers can use malware to compromise your machine. Besides stealing credit card details, they can spy on you.

How to keep your computer safe

• Make sure your regularly update your operating system and browser. This will fix any bugs and vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.
• Also use security software which scans for any dodgy programmes and prevents them appearing in the first place.
• Have strong passwords and don’t use the same ones in many different places
• Be cautious when opening links if you’re not certain where they come from and that they can be trusted
• Regularly Google your webcam manufacturer and computer type, in order to check for any active vulnerabilities.

If your computer is compromised, the worst case scenario is that hackers get a video of you doing something you would be embarrassed for others to see.

Candid said he’s aware of ‘a few 100 cases in the UK each month’ – but the true number could be much higher, as many people don’t go to the police because of the nature of the crime.

They may just pay the ransom, often around £100.

This isn’t recommended though, as there’s no guarantee it will stop the hackers from coming back.

The best thing is protect your computer in the first place – and avoid doing anything in front of a camera that you wouldn’t want your colleagues to see.

Apple finally says sorry for slowing down older iPhones

Apple last week admitted that it slows down people’s phones (AP Photo/Karly Domb Sadof, File)

Apple has apologised to iPhone owners following its admission that it slows down some older handsets to protect the ageing battery.

Last week, the technology giant confirmed it introduced a feature to its iOS operating system last year which manages performance on the iPhone 6, 6s and SE to help preserve battery life, which it says diminishes over time.

Many customers and social media users have long speculated that the firm limits older devices to encourage users to upgrade, but the company said the feature was used to prolong the life of its products.

The company said on its website: ‘We have never – and would never – do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.’

The apology was accompanied by the announcement that the company will reduce the cost of replacement batteries for out-of-warranty iPhone 6s and later editions from $79 (£58) to $29 (£21) – starting in late January and available worldwide until December 2018.

They said they did it to preserve the battery life of the iPhone 6, 6S and SE (Picture: EPA)

The statement added: ‘We’ve been hearing feedback from our customers about the way we handle performance for iPhones with older batteries and how we have communicated that process.

‘We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologise. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making.If you don't cover your webcam you could end up a 'slave'

Apple explained how lithium-ion batteries used in the iPhone age over time.

‘All rechargeable batteries are consumable components that become less effective as they chemically age and their ability to hold a charge diminishes.

‘Device use also affects the performance of a battery over its lifespan. For example, leaving or charging a battery in a hot environment can cause a battery to age faster. These are characteristics of battery chemistry, common to lithium-ion batteries across the industry,’ it said.

Apple also said it will issue an update to its operating system early next year to give users a better understanding of the health of their battery, so they can see if its condition is affecting performance.