Intel and AMD firmware’s have been having exploits discovered all over the news in recent years. Yes, for older processors and chipsets, but tell me, is all your hardware brand new?
Its not the people with properly-configured networks demanding to be convinced to cover their webcams. Also, our PCs are generally not the devices we’re slapping into DMZs and VLANs with either no LAN access, no internet access, or a bajillion blocked(or whitelisted) ports.
Personally, I’m far more concerned about my phone, but google has had my family’s data by the balls forever now anyways, nevermind my kids’ school-provided chromebooks.
These comments are full of people like you smugly assuring us that “because Linux” and “a firewall” are enough. Lotsa firewalls out there running on Intel chips, and there have been no shortage of other mainstream firewall appliances found to have vulnerabilities and backdoors over the years, nevermind all the cable modems with built-in wifi and SPI Firewalls.
If you don’t know enough to teach your kid basic security practices(all good security, and the EASIEST, MOST CONVENIENT FORMS OF IT - all starts at the physical level - pick up any textbook on the topic), regardless of mitigations you may or may not have implimented, you don’t know enough to be having this argument.
Teach your child to cover front-facing cameras with tape.
On a laptop running Linux?
Front-facing cameras should not exist. Yes, on everything.
Did xz not just happen?
Physically block the light.
I’m fairly certain xz wasn’t exfiltrating camera feeds…
That’s not the point. The point is “linux” is not reason to inherently trust a system.
Cover your cameras (as a compromise to ripping them out with a soldering iron).
Intel and AMD firmware’s have been having exploits discovered all over the news in recent years. Yes, for older processors and chipsets, but tell me, is all your hardware brand new?
If your network is properly set up, would that matter?
Its not the people with properly-configured networks demanding to be convinced to cover their webcams. Also, our PCs are generally not the devices we’re slapping into DMZs and VLANs with either no LAN access, no internet access, or a bajillion blocked(or whitelisted) ports.
Personally, I’m far more concerned about my phone, but google has had my family’s data by the balls forever now anyways, nevermind my kids’ school-provided chromebooks.
Pretty sure someone who is giving their kids a Linux laptop knows enough to set up a firewall on their network…
These comments are full of people like you smugly assuring us that “because Linux” and “a firewall” are enough. Lotsa firewalls out there running on Intel chips, and there have been no shortage of other mainstream firewall appliances found to have vulnerabilities and backdoors over the years, nevermind all the cable modems with built-in wifi and SPI Firewalls.
If you don’t know enough to teach your kid basic security practices(all good security, and the EASIEST, MOST CONVENIENT FORMS OF IT - all starts at the physical level - pick up any textbook on the topic), regardless of mitigations you may or may not have implimented, you don’t know enough to be having this argument.
If someone has enough access to your system to covertly use the camera, then the camera is the last thing you need to worry about.
Nobody is interested in looking at you. Getting your payment data, or private data, that is much more interesting.
There are scammers who want your masturbation recorded. The Chinese Communist Party has a face database for surveillance.
And if they have access to your computer, they can get much more useful information, both for extortion and surveillance.
Nah, no reason to downplay webcams.
The average user’d probably get ransomware attack. And if not, cam girl scams. I’d have a look on r/scam rather than argue theoretical worst cases.
Why would you give them that extra inch though? Cover your cameras.
I have no idea why this is causing some weird controversy. Strange arguments out there.
You do you as we live in a free world. The only thing I would be concerned about it if it was illegal to cover your camera
You don’t know where I live.
You not concerned about the possibility of someone spying on you? Regardless, treating cameras as eyes is damn good practice.