While the idea of someone tampering with your security system probably worries you, the good news is that this kind of interference doesn’t occur too frequently. However, with the rise of remote surveillance systems— like the doorbell camera— it’s crucial to understand how a criminal can disrupt or take over your surveillance system.
Keep reading to learn about signal jamming—what it is, how it works, and what steps you should take to protect yourself.
Signal Jamming
Jamming is a technique used by criminals to interfere with communications systems.
It involves using specialized electronic devices that generate strong signals at the same frequency as those used by wireless networks. As a result, any device connected to that network will be unable to send or receive data, effectively rendering it useless. Criminals can use a signal jamming attack against wireless security cameras, which means you wouldn’t be able to monitor your property remotely.
Since signal jamming is the intentional disruption of wireless signals, it can be used for nefarious purposes like preventing surveillance cameras from recording substantial evidence or keeping people from connecting to their own WIFI networks. Criminals will use jamming devices to block out signals from cameras or other surveillance equipment to commit a crime without being recorded.
Preventing Signal Jamming
Without proper security measures, intruders can easily jam the signal between your camera and router, effectively disabling your camera and compromising your system.
Luckily, there are a few easy steps you can take to protect yourself from this kind of interference:
Use a Strong Password:
A strong password should be at least eight characters long, contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using easily guessed words like “password” or your street address.
Enable Encryption:
Encryption is a process that scrambles data so that only authorized devices can read them. Many routers come with encryption disabled by default, so be sure to enable it in your router’s settings.
WPA2 is recommended as the strongest type of encryption currently available.
Change the Default SSID:
The SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of your Wi-Fi network. Many routers come with the default SSID set to the manufacturer’s name or something similar. This makes it easy for criminals to target specific types of routers.
To make it more difficult for criminals to target your router, change the default SSID to something unique that only you know.
Use a VPN:
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts the traffic between your device and the VPN server, making it difficult for someone to intercept and read your data. This is especially important if you’re using public Wi-Fi, as it’s easy for criminals to set up fake Wi-Fi networks in public places.