Hackers Spy On Sleeping Children With Wireless Nanny Cameras

(CBS SF) -- A Minnesota family says they are done with wireless nanny cams after hackers recently posted images of their baby's nursery, and even panned the camera remotely. The parents used software to trace the hackers all the way to Amsterdam.

CNET's Tim Stevens said hackers used a glitch in the camera company Foscam's software to log in to a web camera without a username or password. From there, the hackers could control the camera by moving it around, playing music or even talking through the camera's built-in speaker.

Foscam cameras have been susceptible to hacks in the past. Last year a nanny heard a man's voice saying "Oh, that's a beautiful baby," from a Houston home's security camera. At first, the nanny thought it was the family playing a prank on her. But as the voice went on to say "That's a really poopy diaper," the frightened nanny unplugged the camera and called the family.

Any device connected and controlled over the Internet is vulnerable to this kind of hacking, which can go on for months when undetected.

Parents can protect their homes by setting a strong password and never using the default password from the universal plug and play feature. Stephens also recommends parents download software updates to fix these types of glitches, and to never use unsecured networks.