International. Genetec conducted a recent research in which it found that 68.4% – that is, 7 out of 10 security cameras – currently work with outdated firmware.
Outdated camera firmware and not changing factory default passwords are some of the biggest vulnerabilities in cybersecurity defense. As the number of interconnected security devices grows, keeping up with the latest updates can be complicated and time-consuming.
Installing the latest firmware isn't just about accessing new features, Warns Genetec. Ensuring that the latest cybersecurity protection measures are implemented as soon as they are available is a crucial step in ensuring an organization's resilience in the face of cyberattacks.
"The main data from our research points to the fact that more than half of cameras with outdated firmware (53.9%) contain known cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Extrapolating this to an average security network, almost 4 out of 10 cameras are vulnerable to a cyberattack," says Mathieu Chevalier, Security Architecture Leader at Genetec.
Research shows that almost 1 in 4 organizations (23%) do not use unique passwords for each camera, on the contrary, they keep passwords that come from the factory, thus facilitating access to hackers once only one of them has been hacked.
Until recently, IP cameras came with default security settings, including administrator login information that is often publicly available on manufacturers' websites. While most camera manufacturers now ask users to set up a new password and administrator credentials for installation, there are companies, businesses, and government organizations with older computers that never updated their passwords, which could compromise their data and critical systems residing on their network.
"Unfortunately, our research shows that the 'set it and forget it' mentality continues to prevail, putting the security of an entire organization and people's privacy at risk. All it takes is a camera with outdated firmware or a default password to create an entry point for an attacker to compromise the entire network," Chevalier added. "It is critical that organizations are as proactive in upgrading their physical security systems as they are in upgrading their IT networks."
