Russian Hacktivists hack CCTV Cameras in Denmark

The hacktivists had recorded part of the video stream from the CCTV as proof of the hack and published it. It was reported that no individuals were identifiable on the recording.

Assessment

In recent years there has been a growth of CCTV cameras in society to proactively discourage crime. Unfortunately, many CCTV cameras are deployed without any security measures. It is often extremely easy to hack these devices. The waste water plant in Texas also appears to have been easy to hack, as the control system was exposed directly to the internet.

Globally, large botnets consisting of tens of thousands of infected devices often focus on infecting these ubiquitous CCTV cameras because they are so simple to hack, if they are not protected. The same is true of many cheap home surveillance cameras bought by private individuals and installed in their homes. These attacks represent a form of unsophisticated hacking intended to generate attention with minimal effort, serving as an alternative to more costly denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. [3]

As the threat from Russian cyber sabotage continues, it is important that OT devices are not exposed directly to the internet without adequate protection, such as VPN or firewall. Otherwise they can easily be targeted by hacktivists like Z-Pentest. It is also important to note that installing CCTV cameras and connecting them to the internet without adequate protection can leave them vulnerable to unauthorized access and allow attackers to capture the video stream.

References

[1] https://www.tjekdet.dk/faktatjek/berygtede-russere-slaar-til-igen-overvaagningskamera-i-nordjysk-svoemmehal-hacket
[2] https://thecyberexpress.com/russian-threat-group-z-pentest/
[3] https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-eleven11bot-botnet-infects-86-000-devices-for-ddos-attacks/