All those cameras in the house are very useful and we do it for safety, but sometimes those cameras are quite unsafe. For example, when you use technology that can see through the walls. It exists and it’s called EM Eye.
Cameras ‘tapped’
EM Eye uses electromagnetic radiation that the wires in that security camera emit. It does this by means of a radio antenna. The wires in those cameras are not intended to transmit that radiation, but they still leak the video data. If you can decode that signal, and some researchers now can, you can watch the real-time video. The only thing you’re missing is sound, but images often speak for themselves.
The technology appears to work on many different cameras. So not only your home camera, but also the smartphone camera and dashcams. No fewer than 12 different types of cameras were used and you could even pick up the data from up to 5 meters away and view the images. For example, a thief or a detective can sit next to a house and watch what is happening inside a house. Disastrous for the privacy and possibly even the safety of the residents.
The camera error can be fixed
According to the researchers, this is clearly an error in how cameras are made. People look at how digital data can be protected, but the physical side is not considered. Then you can have such a ‘tight’ system for storing your data locally with all kinds of subscriptions: local is also where it leaks. In principle, it does not leak in very good quality, but with the help of machine learning, the images are considerably polished to make it look more like reality.
The researchers also think in terms of solutions: they think it can be solved by coating the wires or encrypting the video data itself. And of course, until then, the advice is to ensure that you place the camera in a place where malicious parties are less likely to access the data.
