Webcams are specialized peripherals for video and audio communication over the Internet, and they proved extremely useful when the COVID pandemic forced hundreds of millions of employees, students, and users to connect virtually. Sales of this type of product skyrocketed, as did personal and professional video conferencing applications that used them.

Very useful, true, but with a problem that should be known. And webcam spying is not a myth. We have seen it in movies and series but it is as real as life itself. The image of duct tape covering the webcam of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s computer brought the issue to the fore in the media, but it was already well known in computer security circles, where several cases with different techniques and targets had already been documented.

From government spying, installing malware using tools like Gumfish, takeover of benefit machines vulnerabilities such as Flash Player or simply a violation of privacy, among other things to extort money from celebrities.

How to disable your webcam when you’re not using it

Attacks using this method are of course less common than typical phishing or ransomware attacks, but they are very dangerous, considering that if they were successful, a third party would have access to your home or company, with video and audio no less. There’s no reason to keep this device still active, and here we’re going to remind you of some effective ways to disable your webcam when it’s not in use, while also being easily reversible when you need to use it.

disconnect the webcam

So easy. 99 percent of desktop users use an external webcam, which is usually located on the monitor. Disconnecting the USB connector is a reliable method that works regardless of hardware or operating system. How does it work plug and play it will take a while to reconnect it when you need it.

Disable it in the operating system

You can quickly disable your webcam at the system level in a few steps. In Windows operating systems, this is generally done by disabling or removing the component from Control Panel-Device Manager-Display Devices. On operating systems such as Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can also disable the camera in Settings > Privacy. In both cases, this is a convenient and easily reversible solution, although it should be taken into account that advanced attacks could gain administrative access and activate it.

Disable it in BIOS

It’s another option for laptops or AIOs with built-in webcams that have this option in the BIOS. You reboot, go into the BIOS and disable the item that shows up as “Webcam”, “Integrated Camera” or “Camera CMOS”. This option is not common and is only included in some models. Note that most built-in webcams use the same built-in module as the microphone, so you may want to leave the microphone disabled. If you want complete video and audio privacy, it’s a good choice because attacker access is unlikely, although it takes longer to turn it back on because you have to restart your computer and re-enter the BIOS.

lens cover

If you see a sticker on the top frame of a laptop or AIO, you know what it means. It is a simple but very effective method. If a piece of sticker ruins the aesthetics of your brand-new laptop, there are more attractive dedicated solutions that can slide freely, whether they cover the lens or not. Some devices, especially laptops, include it as standard, and virtually all new batch webcams include a corresponding cover as well.

* Additional safety precautions

• Don’t trust the activity indicator. Most webcams include an indicator light that lights up when they are in use. In theory, this way we could know if it is being used by third parties. However, be careful as this is not a foolproof method. It can be tracked without activating the notification light, leaving users completely unarmed.
• Be careful with the sound. Covering the lens or turning off the camera’s privacy option in the operating system can prevent remote eavesdropping via video but not audio since the webcam is still in use. Keep that in mind.
• Default security. Webcam attacks need some type of malware to be installed on your computer beforehand, generally a Trojan horse in these cases. Improving general PC security (browsers, passwords, patches, common sense…) is a good way to protect yourself from this and other attacks.