Security of Cameras and their control.

[MorrisTheCat]

Just a quick question. I've already spent some time searching here and elsewhere on the subject but have not found much. I'm after a convincing proof that says once any one has visited a web page using their iPad (or iPhone) that THAT website cannot somehow activate and begin covert recording images or video from the camera and/or audio from the mic. Note i say COVERT, i.e with the user's knowledge. I have found a couple of You Tubes that show this working perfectly, the owner unaware they are being monitored, their privacy being totally violated. The You Tubes look a bit hokey however as they do not explain just what needs to done or the App name!

My reason is that I need to present a case to Management in my job for iPad over say any kind of Android tablet (where with the very open nature of Android) would mean such "hacking' could be much easier to instigate.

The other option is to buy some kind of case to house the iPad in that makes the user have to remove a cover from the cameras or mic every time these devices are needed. Any info appreciated.

 

[twerppoet]

You can't prove a negative. If a networked device has a microphone or camera, in theory it can be hacked. While the iPad is is more difficult to hack than most Android devices, the fact that jailbreaking exists at all is proof that it can be compromised. The best you can do is show statistics on what devices and OS's have more malware and/or reported vulnerabilities.

If you are dealing with a high security risk environment (and it sounds like you are), then the only way to be sure that cameras and microphones can't be used on devices is to make sure the devices don't have them in the first place. While covering the camera is mostly effective, covering a microphone is less so.