# Hacked by War: How Surveillance Cameras Became a Weapon in Modern Conflict

For decades, satellites, drones, and human spotters have been integral to military surveillance and reconnaissance tactics. However, with the proliferation of cheap and insecure internet-connected consumer devices, militaries now have another powerful tool at their disposal: hackable security cameras installed outside homes or on city streets, aimed at potential bombing targets.

A recent study by Check Point reveals hundreds of hacking attempts targeting consumer-grade security cameras in the Middle East, particularly in response to Iran's recent missile and drone strikes. These efforts suggest that Iranian forces have attempted to use civilian surveillance cameras as a means to spot targets, plan strikes, or assess damage from their attacks. Similarly, earlier this year, Israeli intelligence sources revealed that they had accessed nearly all of Tehran's traffic cameras to target the air strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Exploiting the insecurity of networked civilian cameras is becoming an increasingly common tactic among armed forces worldwide. As Sergey Shykevich, leading threat intelligence research at Check Point, notes, "Now hacking cameras has become part of the playbook of military activity... You get direct visibility without using any expensive military means such as satellites, often with better resolution." This shift in tactics highlights the growing reliance on cheap and accessible surveillance tools, rather than more expensive traditional methods.

Check Point found that hackers attempted to exploit five distinct vulnerabilities in Hikvision and Dahua security cameras, which would have allowed their takeover. The attempts were largely timed to coincide with February 28 and March 1, as the US and Israel began their air strikes across Iran. Shykevich attributes some of these attempts to a hacker group linked to Iranian intelligence, suggesting that the country's military has taken advantage of insecure civilian cameras.

This phenomenon is not unique to Iran; other countries have also adopted this tactic. Ukraine, for example, has warned for years that Russia has hacked consumer surveillance cameras to target strikes and spy on troop movements. Ukrainian hackers have also hijacked Russian cameras to surveil Russian troops and monitor attacks. Similarly, Israeli intelligence sources revealed that they had accessed Tehran's traffic cameras using the CIA.

The use of hackable cameras as a means of military reconnaissance offers several advantages, including presence, expense, and stealth. As Peter W. Singer, a military-focused researcher at the New America Foundation, notes, "The adversary's already done the work for you... They've placed cameras all around a city." Hacked cameras provide angles and perspectives not possible with satellite or drone views, making them powerful tools for reconnaissance, targeting, and assessing damage.

However, the difficulty in pinning down responsibility for internet-connected consumer cameras means that their role in military surveillance is likely to persist. As Beau Woods, a security researcher, notes, "The camera itself is not directly causing the harm... But it's part of the kill chain." The question remains: who is liable, responsible, and accountable for these surveillance systems?

In conclusion, the use of hackable cameras as a means of military reconnaissance highlights the evolving nature of modern conflict. As security concerns continue to grow, it is essential that manufacturers and users take steps to secure these devices against malicious attacks. Until then, hacked cameras will remain a powerful tool in the arsenal of armed forces worldwide.