From Ukraine to Iran, Hacking Security Cameras Is Now Part of War's 'Playbook'

"On Wednesday, Tel Aviv-based security firm Check Point released new research describing hundreds of hacking attempts that targeted consumer-grade security cameras around the Middle East-with many apparently timed to Iran's recent missile and drone strikes on targets that included Israel, Qatar, and Cyprus. Those camera-hijacking efforts, some of which Check Point has attributed to a hacker group that's been previously linked to Iranian intelligence, suggest that Iran's military has tried to use civilian surveillance cameras as a means to spot targets, plan strikes, or assess damage from its attacks."

"Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that the Israeli military had accessed "nearly all" the traffic cameras in Iran's capital of Tehran and, in partnership with the CIA, used them to target the air strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader. In Ukraine, the country's officials have warned for years that Russia has hacked consumer surveillance cameras to target strikes and spy on troop movements-while Ukrainian hackers have hijacked Russian cameras to surveil Russian troops."

"Exploiting the insecurity of networked civilian cameras is, in other words, becoming part of the standard operating procedures of armed forces around the world: A relatively cheap and accessible means of getting eyes on a target hundreds of thousands of miles away."

Militaries are increasingly exploiting vulnerable consumer-grade security cameras as surveillance tools during conflicts. Check Point research revealed hundreds of hacking attempts targeting cameras in the Middle East, apparently coordinated with Iranian military operations. Israel has accessed Tehran's traffic cameras to target airstrikes, while Russia has hacked Ukrainian cameras for reconnaissance and targeting. Ukraine has similarly hijacked Russian cameras for surveillance. This tactic represents a cost-effective alternative to traditional military surveillance systems, leveraging the widespread insecurity of networked civilian devices to gain tactical advantages in modern warfare.

Read at WIRED