Thieves Hacking Security Cameras?

The FBI is investigating fifteen store robberies in eleven states, committed via phone and internet. The perpetrators hack the store's security system so they can observe their victims. They then make customers take their clothes off and get the store to wire money. From the article, "A telephone caller making a bomb threat to a Hutchinson, Kan., grocery store kept more than 100 people hostage, demanding they disrobe and that the store wire money to his bank account. ... officials were investigating whether the caller was out of state and may have hacked into the store's security system. "If they can access the Internet, they can get to anything," Hutchinson Police Chief Dick Heitschmidt said. "Anyone in the whole world could have access, if that's what really happened.""

Comments

Blame M$, again.

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Although it is possible to hack these systems, it is a remote chance if configured properly like anything else.

I've seen these systems being sold to Casinos and what not. The fancy video cards only work with Winblows, so hacking them is only as hard as that.

how did they find the IP of a target store?

You look for the web page they serve with Google. If you don't customize every page and eliminate the keyword combinations, your site can be found.

This is an issue people need to be aware of. Security is only as strong as it's weakest link. People should demand video systems that work with a better OS.