House robbed overnight.

[KellyinAvon]

Sorry to hear about this GPIA7R. Hope they LEOs catch these bad guys.

 

[dwh79]

I have heard that with the wifi cameras they can be hacked and the thief scan see what you have in the house by looking at them. I have thought of cameras to add to my alarm but I would only mount them covering entrance and exterior. Also hear they can use them to see when you are home by hacking in. I hear wired cameras are safer. Anybody have any experience with that?

 

[skulhedface]

I have heard that with the wifi cameras they can be hacked and the thief scan see what you have in the house by looking at them. I have thought of cameras to add to my alarm but I would only mount them covering entrance and exterior. Also hear they can use them to see when you are home by hacking in. I hear wired cameras are safer. Anybody have any experience with that?

I'd say most of the time if you change the default password they aren't going to spend the effort to hack it. If it's not connected you have fewer bells and whistles and fewer privacy concerns. But, if it's not going to be connected you're going to want to make sure your dvr is well hidden so they can't just steal it too.

 

[96firephoenix]

ugh... I shudder to think what that's like. I know the gut-dropping feeling of coming out in the morning to the garage door open and a piece of pipe just thick enough to cycle it back up laying there... now I'm extra careful about it.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I have heard that with the wifi cameras they can be hacked and the thief scan see what you have in the house by looking at them. I have thought of cameras to add to my alarm but I would only mount them covering entrance and exterior. Also hear they can use them to see when you are home by hacking in. I hear wired cameras are safer. Anybody have any experience with that?

(certified wifi guy here)

IF the system is setup properly, not gonna happen. Too many variables. Now if you just pulled all of the equipment out of the box, plugged it in and ran with it, maybe. But at least Linksys now ships their routers so that they arent insecure by default.

For best results:

• Use WPA2- anything else can be hacked.* (WEP can be broken in seconds to minutes)
• Make the passphrase long but memorable. Unlike other previous encryption, the code doesnt have to be obscure and a specific length. I like stringing two or more words together to make the passphrase. Things that are memorable, but not easy to guess. I'll make up a passphrase now on the fly based on what is around me... brownbourbonflask. Quite secure and easy to remember.
• If you want to REALLY up the ante... disable SSID broadcast. That makes it so that when a device scans for available networks, your network keeps it's yap shut and doesnt show up on the list of available networks. To connect to it, you have to physically tell your device "connect to this network... here is the name(and passphrase)" instead of browsing to it.
• And if you were REALLY paranoid, you could do what is called whitelisting; Only preapproved devices can connect to the network, even if they figure out the key.
• change the default passwords on ALL your devices.

In short, Wifi is fine if properly configured. No need to break out the tinfoil.

*Even WPA2 can be hacked. But it would have to be a neighbor within range (not some guy in a car outside your house for 5 mins), and it would take days of doing things to your network that would be so obvious you would think your network or devices were flaking out. A neighbor could also crack it undetected, but it would take weeks to months of constant monitoring of your network. (depending on how much wifi traffic you generate)

 

[Brandon]

Motions, saw an article a while ago saying how thieves are not longer scared of them because everyone has had them for so long but few get up anymore to see what caused them to come on.

I leave my outside lights on all night. Cameras, why not? Just make sure you run the wiring so it can't be accessed easily by people who shouldn't have access to them.
I have cheap swann cameras and actually like them.

Do anything and everything to make your house look less attractive for someone to do a smash and grab and go to your neighbors instead. Sounds harsh but you are responsible for you and your family as they are theirs.

While we are at it, get some of the privacy film for any windows one may be able to look in.

 

[AA&E]

Wow, that sucks man. Scary too. This is where the 150lbs of pit bulls I have running around my house at night would have earned their keep.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

One semi-good thing to come from this, but for the wrong reasons - Wife is now carrying a gun w/ her around the house. Usually just left something in the room she's in, but now keeps one on her.

I'm glad she's being more prepared, but doing so out of fear isn't exactly the way I wanted that to happen.

 

[findingZzero]

Back in the mid seventies, I came home to my NYC apt and noticed the stereo (and later, the camera equipt) gone. The empty nook where the stereo had been with just the FM wire still taped to the wall prompted this this silly thought. Maybe my girlfriend sent them out to the cleaners. Then I just felt violated. I was leaving the country in 2 weeks. I bet I could have bought the stuff back from my neighbors across the street for a good price. Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[gregkl]

(certified wifi guy here)

IF the system is setup properly, not gonna happen. Too many variables. Now if you just pulled all of the equipment out of the box, plugged it in and ran with it, maybe. But at least Linksys now ships their routers so that they arent insecure by default.

For best results:

• Use WPA2- anything else can be hacked.* (WEP can be broken in seconds to minutes)
• Make the passphrase long but memorable. Unlike other previous encryption, the code doesnt have to be obscure and a specific length. I like stringing two or more words together to make the passphrase. Things that are memorable, but not easy to guess. I'll make up a passphrase now on the fly based on what is around me... brownbourbonflask. Quite secure and easy to remember.
• If you want to REALLY up the ante... disable SSID broadcast. That makes it so that when a device scans for available networks, your network keeps it's yap shut and doesnt show up on the list of available networks. To connect to it, you have to physically tell your device "connect to this network... here is the name(and passphrase)" instead of browsing to it.
• And if you were REALLY paranoid, you could do what is called whitelisting; Only preapproved devices can connect to the network, even if they figure out the key.
• change the default passwords on ALL your devices.

In short, Wifi is fine if properly configured. No need to break out the tinfoil.

*Even WPA2 can be hacked. But it would have to be a neighbor within range (not some guy in a car outside your house for 5 mins), and it would take days of doing things to your network that would be so obvious you would think your network or devices were flaking out. A neighbor could also crack it undetected, but it would take weeks to months of constant monitoring of your network. (depending on how much wifi traffic you generate)

Boy do I have a lot to learn about security systems, lol. Here I thought I could install a system with a couple cameras at key points and let it roll. I figured I could record for a period of time and then have it loop over or erase and start over, whatever. I would never have thought that someone could use one of my outdoor cameras to see inside my home. I guess what they do on the show Person of Interest is not too far fetched.

 

[jamil]

daaayyyum....sure this ain' sumbody 'at knows yer dog(s) ?....

mine know.......when a fly takes a shizz down'n the lower corner o' the place.....300' away....

I was thinking the same thing (though it sounded different in my head). If the dogs typically bark at unfamiliar goings on, and didn't bark at this, maybe the goings on were not so unfamiliar.

(certified wifi guy here)

IF the system is setup properly, not gonna happen. Too many variables. Now if you just pulled all of the equipment out of the box, plugged it in and ran with it, maybe. But at least Linksys now ships their routers so that they arent insecure by default.

For best results:
[...]

• Make the passphrase long but memorable. Unlike other previous encryption, the code doesnt have to be obscure and a specific length. I like stringing two or more words together to make the passphrase. Things that are memorable, but not easy to guess. I'll make up a passphrase now on the fly based on what is around me... brownbourbonflask. Quite secure and easy to remember.

[...]

The idea of pass phrases are catching on, but not fast enough. There are still many devices and sites that limit your password length. I like to make my pass phrases > 15 chars but I still often encounter web sites that put unnecessary restrictions on passwords. Limiting a password's maximum length should be technically irrelevant if they're storing them as a hash rather than as plaintext. Also there should be no technical reason to disallow special characters, but I still encounter sites that don't allow them.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I was thinking the same thing (though it sounded different in my head). If the dogs typically bark at unfamiliar goings on, and didn't bark at this, maybe the goings on were not so unfamiliar.

Nah, since the garage was already open (so they didn't hear it open), and they were behind a closed door (which has since been changed), I can see them not reacting to someone being very quiet downstairs.

 

[jamil]

Nah, since the garage was already open (so they didn't hear it open), and they were behind a closed door (which has since been changed), I can see them not reacting to someone being very quiet downstairs.

I can see that. If my dog is sleeping soundly enough he doesn't hear the mailman's truck. That always sets him off when he's awake.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Boy do I have a lot to learn about security systems, lol. Here I thought I could install a system with a couple cameras at key points and let it roll. I figured I could record for a period of time and then have it loop over or erase and start over, whatever. I would never have thought that someone could use one of my outdoor cameras to see inside my home. I guess what they do on the show Person of Interest is not too far fetched.

No, if they got onto your network and onto your cameras, they could see what your cameras see...the outside of your home. Now if you had indoor cameras thats another story. But if setup properly, its pretty safe.

There is also a bug in UPNP on some routers, so that option should be disabled if you arent sure what you are doing. Universal Plug and Play was supposed to be a cool tech that would let anyone setup stuff without having to know what they are doing. Unfortunately some implementations also exposed the INSIDE UPNP stuff to the OUTSIDE of the firewall. Oops. So if you look around the intarwebz you can find sites that have collected links to various cameras that are accidentally exposed to the internet. Typically they are anonymous and you wont know exactly where they are based on the IP address but still its pretty spooky. (the closest you can get is knowing that the camera you are viewing is a comcast customer in the Speedway area (if the provider labels their equipment clearly enough) but thats it)

 

[YETB]

My neighbors across the street and ourselves, have an agreement to call each other - anytime of the night - if we notice one of us left our OH door open.

We've both been guilty of it - and our system has worked. Nice to have someone watch your back (or your front)

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Any recommendations for good motion sensing flood lights?

 

[Cameramonkey]

Motions are motions from what I have seen. My only tip is go Incandescent or LED. Do NOT go CFL. They take too long to warm up at that Lumens rating. My mom discovered that the hard way when she tried replacing some bulbs in hers.

 

[looney2ns]

Motions are a crap shoot. I have several neighbors that have to replace them frequently from failing. Other neighbors motions have the lights going on and off all night long with the slightest wind. No point in having them.

Put up some LED floods, put them on a dusk to dawn electric eye and forget about it.

By the way, lights are not the great deterrent Kirk thinks they are.

So if a garage door is soooo hard to remember to close that a timer is required, I'm assuming in these same house's, the other exterior doors are standing open on a regular basis as well?


To the OP, so your wife was concerned enough before this to carry a gun around room to room, but not to make sure a door was shut and or locked? Just sayin.

 

[churchmouse]

Motions are a crap shoot. I have several neighbors that have to replace them frequently from failing. Other neighbors motions have the lights going on and off all night long with the slightest wind. No point in having them.

Put up some LED floods, put them on a dusk to dawn electric eye and forget about it.

By the way, lights are not the great deterrent Kirk thinks they are.

So if a garage door is soooo hard to remember to close, I'm assuming in these same house's, the other exterior doors are standing open on a regular basis as well?

Rough crowd in here tonight.....

 

[Cameramonkey]

Motions are a crap shoot. I have several neighbors that have to replace them frequently from failing. Other neighbors motions have the lights going on and off all night long with the slightest wind. No point in having them.

Put up some LED floods, put them on a dusk to dawn electric eye and forget about it.

By the way, lights are not the great deterrent Kirk thinks they are.

So if a garage door is soooo hard to remember to close that a timer is required, I'm assuming in these same house's, the other exterior doors are standing open on a regular basis as well?


To the OP, so your wife was concerned enough before this to carry a gun around room to room, but not to make sure a door was shut and or locked? Just sayin.

The "other neighbors" are morons. The motions are adjustable and not a plug and play system. Once you hang them you have to put them in diag mode and test/tweak them until they go off when they should.

At my mom's I had what you described. I didnt read the instructions carefully enough and the exhaust tube from the propane furnace was within view of the sensor... so it would trigger whenever the furnace came on.