# pc security - can a hack turn my camera on and take a picture of me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2011, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806 "2011-01-16T06:56:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806/21 "2011-01-16T20:11:53Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve never heard “vira” before. Is that the latest contribution to the “What’s the plural of virus?” debate (the answer to which was, I thought, viruses or, if you like, viri)? My understanding is that, despite the nonstandard ending, “virus” is a second-declension neuter noun, so if it had a Latin plural, it would be “vira” (though one can be forgiven for thinking it would be “viri”, like most second-declension nouns ending in -us). The English construction “viruses” is, of course, perfectly acceptable, but that’s got enough s sounds piled at the end that it sounds awkward to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Simple\_Mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Mind)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806/22 "2011-01-16T22:30:04Z")
Hijack, how about Cellfons and Smartfons, this should also be no Problem even without a Virus only controlled by the Provider? I am right? ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806/23 "2011-01-16T22:52:18Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > There was a school district that used software to remotely turn on webcams of students at home using borrowed school laptops. Not exactly a virus, but something to consider. The district got busted. It wasn’t the school dist that did this, it was one sicko administrative employee watching the kids at home while they were on their computers. The SD paid the lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806/24 "2011-01-17T03:20:50Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > I’ve never heard “vira” before. Is that the latest contribution to the “What’s the plural of virus?” debate (the answer to which was, I thought, viruses or, if you like, viri)? > **[Plural form of words ending in -us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plural_form_of_words_ending_in_-us)** > > In English, the plural form of words ending in -us, especially those derived from Latin, often replaces -us with -i. There are many exceptions, some because the word does not derive from Latin, and others due to custom (e.g., campus, plural campuses). Conversely, some non-Latin words ending in -us and Latin words that did not have their Latin plurals with -i form their English plurals with -i, e.g., octopi is sometimes used as a plural for octopus (the standard English plural is octopuses). Mos... ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806/25 "2011-01-17T04:08:33Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > I also have noticed on a few, random occasions my camera light will turn on during the day at work, then turn off after a short while. When one of my best friends at work was one of the head IT people, I saw how the PC support people would continuously, during the day, use their Admin rights to snoop around on people’s PCs for fun when they were bored. I was actually cc’d on mails where one of them would be laughing to others about how they were “just looking around” someone else’s computer and found pictures of their girlfriend nude, etc. So I have no doubt whatsoever that through the day our bored support staff are browsing around computers, probably looking for “hot” girls. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I wish there were ways to keep my computer from being used against me, but that’s near impossible. If someone wants in bad enough and has the time and skill, they will probably find a way in. I have always been diligent about what is on my work computer and what is sent through my work email after discovering that our system admin was snagging a copy of every email from certain employees and directing that copy to his inbox. So, not only did he see any email he wanted, but he saw the C-level discussions on business decisions, strategy, staff reductions… everything. Pretty powerful information to have. I don’t know if he ever got busted, as I never told him or anyone else I saw what he was doing. I just reminded myself that a work computer doesn’t belong to me. As far as I knew, he was doing this with corporate blessing (I doubt it, but you never know). I can see a bunch of perverts sitting in their basements watching the movements of some high school girl that they’ve tied into, but how do these losers find the software in the first place? I have a band-aid on my camera now. Someone is probably now taking pictures of me with my phone camera. Bastards! It never ends! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806/26 "2011-01-17T12:20:01Z")
I think it’d be cool if all webcams came with lens caps (preferably attached somehow, so I don’t lose it). ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806/27 "2011-01-17T15:10:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I think if I worked at this place, I’d be sure to drop my wireless connection or pull the ethernet cord when the internet/intranet wasn’t needed. Not possible unfortunately, when your phone is VOIP and you are at the VP level and need to be reachable at all times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-security-can-a-hack-turn-my-camera-on-and-take-a-picture-of-me/567806.md?page=1)