[sandworm101]

Think if this. Some kid uses this website to discover a classmate's open cam and posts some evil pictures. Parents/teachers find out and call cops. Now every ip on that routers logs may be subject to a visit by police, at least all the local ones. A risk not worth taking. I give this website a month.

[icebraining]

I give this website a month.

Insecam has been around for over two years...

[danielhunt]

Sure, I get that, but are these cameras being sold as "secure from anyone that isn't you", or as "keep an eye on things easily, from anywhere in the world!"

The distinction is important, because an implication of secure-by-default means that the manufacturer has dropped the ball. If there's nothing to imply that the device is secure (as opposed to just providing 'security' via CCTV), then this is more a case of the installer of the device willingly, and knowingly, providing a live-stream of their property to the world.

[saganus]

Well, yes and no.

I think part of the problem is that more and more technology products are being sold as "simple to use", although they might actually be really complex tools with far reaching implications not necessarily understood by the end users.

Compare this to, say, driving a vehicle. In most (all?) countries you need a driving permit which implies you have some training to operate said tool. In part because not knowing how to drive could cause damage and/or injury to third parties. And you also have some sort of liability if things go awry.

However consumer technology products are not considered as tools capable of damage (in most cases at least, e.g. computers, routers, phones, etc) and so the implication is that anyone can use them without proper training, since there's no way you can affect a third party.

Obviously those of us who have some sort of training realize that this is not the case, and so I would guess most HNers would secure their routers or Internet connected cameras (I hope...).

So in this context, can you actually blame those that have no training at all, to be doing "unsafe" things, especially since no one will tell them otherwise, including the manufacturer?

It's definitely a non-trivial subject.