The Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) called on citizens to take greater steps to protect their privacy after revealing tens of thousands of CCTV units in the state are using a default password, leaving the cameras vulnerable to hacks.
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On Tuesday, the INCD said in a warning that it found 66,000 security cameras in Israel are still using their standard pre-configured passwords, and urged Israelis to change them.
Hacked cameras enable burglars to break into homes by helping them learn who is in the building at the time, the INCD explained, adding that those with hacked CCTV units also risk becoming victims of additional crimes.
"Beyond invading privacy, taking over the camera allows information to be recorded and images stored," the INCD said, which leaves people vulnerable to threats like data theft, impersonation, and extortion.
The agency called on those with cameras to engage in best security practices in order to ensure that they remain safe.
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It provided the public with a number of other tips to protect their privacy, including not sharing their camera passwords, keeping their software updated, avoiding installing software that is not made by the manufacturer, and regularly verifying that the devices are not set to their default settings.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
