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 Internet Protocol (IP) cameras have been around for some time and its adoption continues to grow. IMS Research, an independent global research and consultancy firm, predicts that by 2014, the market for network-based video surveillance will reach $7 billion. At this point, it will finally surpass the analog video surveillance segment at $6.5 billion. Increased government spending on security as a result of the Boston bombing is expected to add to the growth of this market.

With increasing demand for security cameras, the implementation of IP-based cameras with wireless capability is on the rise. One simple reason for its popularity is that it eliminates cumbersome wiring and, therefore, is easy to install. And, because they are miniature in size, they can be mounted in critical places from where the user can monitor a home, business, office or a family member, including a pet, discretely. In addition, such devices come with monitoring and management software that provides a trigger alarm and e-mail alerts when a security breach happens.

Because wireless IP cameras are connected to the Internet, the user can log into them from a  remote location and get a view of the home, office, or a family member/pet via their mobile device like a smartphone, tablet etc.

While there are many benefits of wireless IP cameras, there are also some risks. Bing a networked device, it is vulnerable to hijacking like any other PC, laptop or mobile device connected to the Internet. According to researchers from security firm Qualsys, IP-based cameras can potentially be hijacked and altered.

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Qualsys researchers Sergey Shekyan and Artem Harutyunyan told PC World, the IP cameras should be deployed behind firewalls or intrusion prevention systems with strict rules." “

“Consequently, any access to the cameras should be limited to trusted IP addresses,” said the researchers.

Further commenting on the vulnerability, Shekyan and Harutyunyan stated that the cameras are prone to denial-of-service attacks and can be disabled during a robbery. In addition, the experts indicated that there are some wireless IP cameras that allow attackers to log in using the default "admin" username and no password.

Furthermore, the researchers indicated that hijackers can also exploit a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) flaw by tricking the camera administrator to open a specifically crafted link that will create a new administrator account to the camera. Likewise, because the passwords are limited to 12 characters, the invaders can also resort to guess work.

Still, with the right precautions, IP cameras are power tools that will only see even greater use in the months and years to come.