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Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

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Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#631

Post by bamboozled »

dahfizz wrote: post #575
mirimir wrote: post #538

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Apple makes such high-end stuff, and is marketing on privacy, why can't they spring for hardware switches? Pine64 does, and they're by no means high-end. Not by price, anyway.

Better yet, Lenovo has a little plastic cover built into the camera under the lens. I don't need to trust the implementation of some switch, I can physically cover up the camera with a nicely integrated cover. No trust required for about 0.01¢ of plastic.

Yup, such a simple solution, and Lenovo doesn't even make a fuss about privacy, they just "did it".

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#632

Post by Jweb_Guru »

kick wrote: post #543
ekianjo wrote: post #536

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they designed it poorly without understanding end users?

A minority of end users cares enough to actually put tape over their webcam.

Not as small of a minority as you think.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#633

Post by bamboozled »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #541
mirimir wrote: post #538

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Apple makes such high-end stuff, and is marketing on privacy, why can't they spring for hardware switches? Pine64 does, and they're by no means high-end. Not by price, anyway.

I don't think the price of a hardware switch would be a concern for Apple, but the size would. A hardware switch would take up space. Apple broke their keyboards to shave a couple millimeters of thickness off their laptops.

Maybe they should focus more on functionality people want rather than reducing the size of the devices.

Making something bigger didn't seem to any kind of consideration when going from iPhone 5 to iPhone 6+.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#634

Post by GuardianCaveman »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #511
rgbrenner wrote: post #436

As an alternative to a camera cover, use the camera indicator light to determine if your camera is active I've been thinking about privacy all wrong. I thought it was about preventing access to my data... but Apple has cleared up my misunderstanding and now I know that it's just about being notified when my data is stolen. Everyone feel free to post your credit card numbers... your privacy is secure, since your bank…

Are you seeing the indicator light go on when you aren't actively using the webcam?

The problem is if someone is able to activate your camera even if the light comes on 100 percent of the time, without a cover they’ll see something and will be able to capture that. Hey this guy hacked in and is seeing naked wife or my taxes on my desk or something else sensitive - the light isn’t really going to stop that. If you really don’t believe me go stay in a hotel next to defcon and use the hotel WiFi naked.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#635

Post by [deleted] »

mirimir wrote: post #538
rgbrenner wrote: post #436

As an alternative to a camera cover, use the camera indicator light to determine if your camera is active I've been thinking about privacy all wrong. I thought it was about preventing access to my data... but Apple has cleared up my misunderstanding and now I know that it's just about being notified when my data is stolen. Everyone feel free to post your credit card numbers... your privacy is secure, since your bank…

If Apple makes such high-end stuff, and is marketing on privacy, why can't they spring for hardware switches? Pine64 does, and they're by no means high-end. Not by price, anyway.

[deleted]

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#636

Post by Jweb_Guru »

kumarvvr wrote: post #603
neltnerb wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, I'm a little surprised Apple didn't follow the Thinkpad approach of simply having a sliding piece with an aperture that extremely obviously blocks the camera. Surely Apple can't seriously think their users would be confused by this and complain... I don't think my desktop computer's webcam is likely to get hacked either but I'm still going to unplug it when I'm not using it. Complex systems are hard to secure…

There are a number of ways to do it, other than a sliding latch, in case Apple wants to avoid adding thickness to the screen. 1. Electrically blurred glass. 2. Polarizing filters 3. Power kill switch, in hardware. But I guess Applw will balk at this too.

None of those have the advantage of (for the end user) extremely obviously blocking light.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#637

Post by GuardianCaveman »

etxm wrote: post #519
didibus wrote: post #501

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And what if you see a green light? And you're not the one using the camera?

Then something is really up and I’d not be concerned about the cam cover on my computer so much as whatever malware is allowing remote control of the camera.

Yeah unless it’s your teenage daughters Mac and they just took a picture of her changing and are going to blackmail her with it.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#638

Post by dmoy »

kick wrote: post #543
ekianjo wrote: post #536

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they designed it poorly without understanding end users?

A minority of end users cares enough to actually put tape over their webcam.

They hand them out for free at my wife's work I think.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#639

Post by cguess »

If a hacker can modify the firmware on your Macbook to somehow turn on a hardwired camera without turning on the LED you're so beyond screwed it's not worth mentioning. This means they already have full sudo access to your entire entire machine, all encryption keys, everything.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#640

Post by underwater »

mirimir wrote: post #538
rgbrenner wrote: post #436

As an alternative to a camera cover, use the camera indicator light to determine if your camera is active I've been thinking about privacy all wrong. I thought it was about preventing access to my data... but Apple has cleared up my misunderstanding and now I know that it's just about being notified when my data is stolen. Everyone feel free to post your credit card numbers... your privacy is secure, since your bank…

If Apple makes such high-end stuff, and is marketing on privacy, why can't they spring for hardware switches? Pine64 does, and they're by no means high-end. Not by price, anyway.

Because it's about the marketing and not the reality. Having a hardware switch undermines the message that their OS is secure.
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