According to a survey by real estate investment company IPX1031, 11% of motel tenants reported having discovered hidden cameras during their stay. In fact, the number of reported cases of hidden cameras is increasing.
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Security experts say concerns about hidden cameras in hotel rooms and rental homes are not unfounded, and they are not a new issue.
In South Korea, more than 30,000 cases of hidden camera filming were reported to the police between 2013 and 2018, according to the New York-based nonprofit Human Rights Watch.
In the US, nearly 60% of people said they were worried about hidden cameras in homes rented on Airbnb.
Mr. Kenneth Bombace, chief executive officer of security firm Global Threat Solutions, said the number of reports of hidden cameras is increasing.
How to know if there are secret cameras in hotels and rental houses? Here are the recommendations of the experts.
Look for places where the camera can be hidden
According to Mr. Bombace, tenants can search for cameras in places like bathrooms and bedrooms. In principle, Airbnb tenants are allowed to install cameras in their homes, but they must notify guests and cameras must not be placed in private spaces.
Next, guests can search in household appliances such as lights, air conditioners and electronic clocks.
Mr. Bombace said most hidden cameras are connected to a power source or an electronic device, so when he rented a hotel, the first thing he did in his bedroom was unplug the clock and put them in a drawer. drag.
Mr. Michael O'Rourke, CEO of security consulting firm Advanced Operational, also shared the same.
In addition, even if the camera is well hidden, there will be a small amount of reflection from the lens. If guests suspect a place where the camera might be hidden, guests can shine a flashlight at it to check for reflections.
Check WiFi network
A hidden camera must be connected to a local WiFi network to be viewed remotely, so guests can use WiFi scanning apps like Fing to check.
But Kody Kinzie, a security researcher at data security and analytics firm Varonis, warns a network scanner might not catch everything. Therefore, guests need to look for devices that are broadcasting their own network name. "You should use apps like WiGLE to find Bluetooth streaming devices and WiFi network names," he says.
Buy spy camera detector
The spy camera detector can scan for radio frequencies connected to the secret camera, however this method is only useful if the camera is transmitting data.
What to do if you find a hidden camera?
Varonis security researcher Kody Kinzie said that when a hidden camera is found, guests should disconnect the cameras but don't damage them, as the camera can contain identifying information, like login information and the WiFi network it's on. connected.
In the event that a camera is detected in a hotel room, guests are advised to notify the front desk and then move to another hotel instead of requesting another room. Mr. Bombace also recommended that guests report the incident to the police.