Home Security, i.e. Finding Hidden Video Cameras ================================================ o Source: The notes here were basically copied from a news item in early 2021 about a similar document released by a women's group in Perth, Australia. Unfortunately the document I read did not name the originator organization. o URL for this document: - https://savage.net.au/misc/home.security.txt. o URL for another document of mine about personal security: - https://symboliciq.au/misc/Personal.Security.html - This document covers things like Encrypted SMS, Metadata Removal, Stalkerware, etc. o Last updated: 2024-03-25. o More information: https://www.esafety.gov.au/. o Try pairing your phone with Bluetooth and see what other devices are around. o To disable a camera without removing it, dab some nail varnish or superglue on the lens. o Use a torch to see if you can pick up any reflections from the lens of a secret camera. o Buy a secret camera detector, which is a fancy torch but probably worth it. o Buy a wifi channel detector. You will find many, with most simply being harmless intrusions from your neighbour's equipment. And of course you will probably have one intentional one within your propery, transmitting between your NBN box and your newtork router. How can you pick the suspicious ones? By turning off and on the switches on each of your 3-pin plugs. If a channel goes off-line and back on-line as you switch, you must be suspicious, unless of course it's the one mentioned just above. o Darken the room and see if any camera produces infrared light to compensate: You might need to use a camera with an infrared lens. Why do this? Because some high-end video devices compensate for low light levels by emitting their own infrared signal. Even though the acuity of the resultant video is not as good as in daylight, it can still reveal a lot. o Check every powerpoint for cables to see where they lead. o Check for devices which have small holes in them, e.g. a lamp. o Check for devices which don't match the room: - A lamp in a bathroom - A clock radio in a toilet - Devices which are in odd places - Devices which are flat can easily be drilled thru for a pinhole camera - Commercial cameras are more likely hidden amongst bric-a-brac, e.g. on bookcases. - A camera in a towel rail is a case of something unexpected but documented o Use a mirror to look under the rim of the toilet. Yes, inside the bowl. There have been reports of cameras secreted there Note: To get the video signal out of the bowl there will probably be a wire around the rim to the back of the bowl, where it will then lead to a wifi transmitter. o Equipment mentioned can probably be bought at https://www.jaycar.com.au/. Software: o Use 'nmap' (network map) to look for connected devices. Try: nmap -v 127.0.0.1 Note: 127.0.0.1 is the IP address of your machine. All machines running TCP/IP software call themselves 127.0.0.1. It's the same as me calling myself I, my or myself. The program lists open communication channels on that machine, 127.0.0.1. Such channels are called 'ports'. Think of suburbs by the sea. Here in Melbourne one is called Port Melbourne. The latter is where goods flow into and out of the country, thru a port called by that suburb name. For computers, data flows in and out of ports. The point is that you should, indeed must, be able to explain and justify exactly why each and every port on your machine is open. If there is an open port you cannot explain, you have a problem. Open ports on my laptop are: 22, 80, 631, 3306 and 5432. Good. o On my home network I have a network router on IP address 10.1.1.1, so I can use: nmap -v 10.1.1.1 Note: My laptop is connected to this router by wifi (wireless), which in turn connects to another router (both inside my property) provided by NBN Co (nbnco.com.au), colloquially call an NBN box. The NBN box is connected directly to the internet via an organization called a 'service provider' In my case, the latter is iiNet. It may help to draw a simple diagram of your own network. Open ports on my network router are: 53, 80, 139, 443, 445, 8080, 5000. Good. o If I wish to determine the IP of that NBN box, as seen from the internet, I use: https://www.whatismyip.com/ It tells me that my public IPv4 address is 110.175.195.201. So, if I now run (be patient. It takes me almost 23 seconds!): nmap -v -Pn 110.175.195.201 I see a long report with only 1 TCP port open, and many closed. Good. o Use 'finger' to look for users logged in to your machine. Try both of these: finger Fing o Which messaging app most successfully protects your metadata? Signal. Certainly not WhatsApp. It's dangerous. See Access Metadata