The Director of the FBI Puts a Piece of Tape Over His Laptop Webcam. Should You? Cyber security experts chime in on whether this is a smart move or over-the-top paranoia.

By Dan Bova

Entrepreneur

FBI Director James Comey said this week, while speaking about privacy issues at Kenyon College, that he places a piece of tape over his laptop webcam to mitigate the danger of secret surveillance.

"I saw something in the news, so I copied it, I put a piece of tape over the camera," Comey explained, "because I saw somebody smarter than I am had a piece of tape over their camera."

Some have seen this move as hypocritical, given the FBI's demands that software companies make devices accessible to the federal government, but leaving that argument aside, is putting a piece of tape over laptop webcams something all of us should be doing? Or is that next-level paranoia? Entrepreneur reached out to experts in cyber security and asked.

Related: 7 Cybersecurity Layers Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know

"Certainly, if someone wanted to introduce malware on a laptop through phishing or another cyber intrusion technique, a camera takeover is possible," says David Szuchman, Chief of Investigation Division, Manhattan District Attorney's Office. "Putting tape over the camera is a prophylactic measure that may not be necessary for the majority of the population, but can be effective in preventing unwanted and illegal surveillance."

Brandon Webb, former Navy SEAL and founder of SOFREP.com, agrees. "I have lots of friends in the intelligence community, particularly those who do covert work, and they all seem to agree that developing habits like these are worth the time. Our mobile phones and computers are always susceptible to hackers, especially when we travel and use open Wi-Fi networks."

The risks are real, says Kip Boyle, founder and president of Cyber Risk Opportunities. "Whether you're a curious adolescent or an online criminal, either small time or big time, you can use any of a number of Remote Administration Tools (RATs) to turn on someone's webcam without them knowing."

Related: 4 Ways Small Businesses Can Prevent Cyber Crime

Boyle explains that hackers first trick someone into downloading the RAT, usually by visiting a malicious URL. They can then connect to the RAT on victims' computers and turn on the webcam. "Once you have access via a RAT, there are almost no limits to what you can do to or with their computer," Boyle warns.

So what's the takeaway here? Check to see if Home Depot is having a sale on masking tape this week and cover up that webcam.

Wavy Line
Dan Bova

Entrepreneur Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim and Spy magazine. Check out his latest humor books for kids, including Wendell the Werewolf, Road & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, and The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff.

Editor's Pick

A Father Decided to Change When He Was in Prison on His Son's Birthday. Now His Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Applicants Land 6-Figure Jobs.
Lock
A Teen Turned His Roblox Side Hustle Into a Multimillion-Dollar Company — Now He's Working With Karlie Kloss and Elton John
Lock
3 Mundane Tasks You Should Automate to Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff
Lock
The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here's What You Should Do
5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health and Regulate Your Nervous System for Sustainable Success

Related Topics

Business News

'Do You Hate Me?': High School Teacher Shares Wild Emails He Receives From Students

Jordan Baechler teaches high school students in Ontario, Canada.

Business News

After Being Told They Could Work From Home Forever, Employees Made Major Life Changes. Then, a New CEO Ordered Them Back to the Office.

Farmers Group CEO Raul Vargas is facing backlash for the change, but he says being in the office brings more "collaboration" and "innovation."

Growing a Business

Do You Say 'Like' Too Much? Don't Worry! I'm a Sociolinguist, and I Like 'Like.'

The modern use of the word is denigrated through and through. But it may be doing more communicative heavy lifting than we give it credit for.

Life Hacks

The Top 5 All-Time Best Productivity Hacks You've Never Heard Of

Want to combat chronic procrastination? Use these top five productivity hacks to put an end to this debilitating nuisance.