zlacker

I don't really understand the webcam paranoia. If my computer is completely compromised, somebody watching my face is the least of my worries.

>>comboy+(OP)
It's about risk/threat minimization

>>comboy+(OP)
To me it's not about the computer being compromised, but rather joining a WebEx/Hangouts/other conference/meeting software that suddenly decides to start sharing your webcam without prompting you.

There's been numerous times where I've joined meetings and someone gets caught with a goofy face or working from home in their PJs because they mis-clicked something on a crappy e-meeting UI.

>>comboy+(OP)
It also covers the lens from dust, smears, etc.

>>comboy+(OP)
The first Apple iSight cameras, back in the days of Firewire, had this nifty mechanical iris that covered the lens. A twist of the bezel ring and it opened, another and it closed.

Granted, just that feature was 6 times the volume of a modern webcam and probably three times the cost, but it did perfectly address people's discomfort with the eye staring at them.

For some reason, the ear listening to them doesn't seem to evoke the same reaction. I don't know anyone that tries to deafen their microphone.

>>CorpOv+e
I used WebEx meetings for the first time very recently and was rather frustrated by this as well. Quite a few of my colleagues had the exact same issue, and there were quite a few surprised people showing up on the camera after clicking the camera icon after mistaking the preview as broadcasting to the meeting.

>>jws+H1
All it takes is a toothpick.

>>CorpOv+e
Yep that's why I do it. I don't take it off either. Voice is good enough for anything remote.

>>jws+H1
Exactly, microphone provides much more useful information and requires similar permissions. Not many people seem to be unsoldering them.

Regarding webcam, led is OK, but it shouldn't be driven by some firmware, it should be a simple circuit - when there is a voltage on the camera Vdd, the led is on. I don't know how it is with the newest macbooks and if the led is still hackable.

>>jws+H1
And then there's the accelerometer ;)

>>kobaya+8
It seems like a losing battle though. Small embedded cameras are becoming too widespread and you can't put tape on all of them. I think looking forward it's not unreasonable to rely on software controlled switches to minimize this risk, knowing that they will fail or be exploited sometimes anyway.

>>comboy+(OP)
If someone hacks into my computer and steals my CC info, I can very easily remedy that situation by calling the bank. Hell, my bank will probably notice before I do. I'm not even liable for the fraudulent transactions. The same is true to varying degrees of inconvenience for most information.

If someone hacks into my computer and takes videos of me in the buff (or worse, in an intimate situation) and posts them online, I have no remedy. The Rubicon has been crossed. The ship has sailed. The cat is out of the bag. You get the point.

Spare me the lecture about nudity and sex being a stupid taboo. If the world was how I wanted it to be, a lot of things would be different. You have to deal with the reality you live in.

>>jws+H1
The old Sparc pizza boxes had a physical switch on their external microphones as well.

>>comboy+(OP)
Some people want to take additional assurances that they won't be blackmailed with explicit footage or find themselves on a revenge porn site. That sort of thing can make identity theft pale in comparison.

Another aspect to consider are devices used by children. Tape should be pretty much requisite.

>>drvdev+N2
Still, I'd say my comment stands. It's about threat minimization. Reduce the attack surface by covering the cam.

>>CorpOv+e
Yep, I just joined a early morning meeting via webex recently and accidentally revealed to about 20 people from around the world what I look like without a shirt on. It's not pretty.

>>jws+H1
People don't react the same to audio because when we got on a call, audio is presumed to be on, while we may not be prepared or video. And when we're not on a call, chances of being caught saying something embarrassing is lower than chances of being caught in an embarrassing state of undress etc.

>>jws+H1
Early SGI cameras had a physical lens cover, too. I wish that were still the norm, although I certainly see how hard it'd be to build into the frame of a thin laptop.