New member introduction

KurtH

n3wb
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Jan 19, 2022
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Prescott Valley, AZ
Hello IP CamTalk forum. I joined in Jan22 so I thought I'd throw in my intro. I hope to occasionally use the expertise on the forum as well as contribute to the conversations and help others if I can. I'm a retired IT and Cyber Security professional.

I have about 2 years of experience running between 10 to 15 IP cameras at any given time using BlueIris as the collector. I'm also using DeepStack to assist with alerts. My cameras are mostly 4k Amcrest with a few Annke in the mix from my testing phase and a Montavue 4k PTZ as the big dog. I have attached a few screenshots of my system stats for reference/conversation.

The purpose of my system is a mix of wildlife viewing (I'm on a few acres bordering state land) as well as home protection and situational awareness.

I love that the IP Camera/server technology is cheap enough to setup, test, adjust, and enjoy. I'll be enjoying my system for many years to come, including all the future upgrades and system hardware and software changes.

My (somewhat minor) complaints about the IP camera ecosystem in general include an overreliance on equipment from China and a lack of emphasis on cyber security in the design and firmware (no serious authentication features or granulated logging, rare updates to firmware, etc.). It's a pet peeve I guess but it is a serious issue when it comes to any vulnerable devices we put on our networks.

A good example of a seemingly innocuous device causing trouble is that of a casino getting hacked through a fish tank thermometer...it really happened (Somebody hacked a casino by accessing a network-connected thermometer in a fish tank).

Take care,

Kurt
 

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wittaj

IPCT Contributor
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Welcome!

Yeah, that is why most of us do not allow our cameras access to the internet. Any IoT is capable of being hacked regardless of who or where it is made, so not allowing them access mitigates the issue about it phoning home.

Most of us do not update the firmware as it in many instances breaks something. IF there is a firmware update, it is usually to fix a vulnerability found years ago, but since we do not allow the camera access to the internet, it is a useless firmware update that runs the risk of breaking what is working!
 

SpacemanSpiff

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Flintstone61

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Hi I'm John, I'm a recovering Costco Nightowl Owner.
One IP Cam is too many and a thousand is never enough.
Keep coming back, it works if you screw with it enough.
Static IP addresses are for quitters. :smoking:

Only the first sentence is true.
well 3 is true too LOL....
 
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