Russian hackers stream British private home and business webcams to anyone

A Russian website is targeting homes and business across the UK showing everything to anyone with an internet connection.

16:17 20 November 2014

The Information Commissioner’s Office has warned that hundreds of private webcams in the UK can be accessed by anyone with internet connection after a Russian website streamed hacked images around the world from everything including CCTV and baby monitors.

The site shows live feeds of offices, living rooms, nurseries and a gym in the UK. It gained access by using default passwords, which consumers failed to change.

Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, said: "The website operators shouldn't be doing it. If it was in the UK they would be breaching the Data Protection Act and the Consumer Misuse Act.”

"So they have made their point, thank you very much, now take it down."

He added: "We are working with other data protection authorities around the world to make sure this service is stopped.

"But I suppose they have done us all a good turn by alerting us to the problem."

Meanwhile, Simon Rice, the ICO group manager for technology, warned it was "a threat that all of us need to be aware of and be taking action to protect against".