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Comment by egwynn | Hacker News Reader

People always go on about covering up your camera, but what should I do about my hardwired microphone? I'm vastly more likely to say sensitive data out loud than I am to mime it out or write it down and hold it up on a sign.

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Since I realized that I never actually use my laptop's built-in camera or microphone, I disabled them both at a bios level and made sure that the necessary drivers are not installed. If I need to get on a video or voice call with my laptop (once in a blue moon), I have a USB webcam and microphone that work just fine.

Recently I was sent a blackmail email that contained a password that I used to use in the past and the sender was claiming that they had also gained to my laptop's camera and had recordings of me watching porn or other "embarrassing" stuff. They threatened to send these recordings to my contacts on email and/or facebook etc, unless I paid them $1082 in bitcoins (apparently they read that if you ask for a non-round number you have more chances of getting it :P).

Covering your camera is supposed to protect you from this kind of things, especially for younger ages or for people less technologically inclined.

I assume you know this, but just in case:

Note that they may have gotten the password from a hacked website--not from your webcam/microphone.

Check out https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Indeed I know it and it's how I knew for some time that the password in question had been leaked.

I knew all of that too, but it didn't prevent a very unpleasant visceral response in the pit of my stomach when I saw that email come in with the old compromised password on the subject line. The content of the email made me laugh, though.

Get a new MacBook. Hardware based disconnect for the microphone and the camera.

...only if the lid is closed. great for if you're not using the laptop, not so great when you're currently using it.

There’s always Micro Snitch[0]. It not a hardware switch, but it arguably the next best thing.

[0]https://www.obdev.at/products/microsnitch/index.html

I use Windows and always disable microphone and webcam and any other device when not in use from device manager.

But the point of the “cover up your camera” intervention is that it’s “out of band” from your system software. Even if there’s a root/administrator-level compromise, light just won’t get past the piece of paper/cardboard onto the sensor. I don’t believe there’s an analagous intervention for the microphone.

You're right, my comment was regarding microphone. I do cover webcam when not in use along with phone camera.

maybe tissue that goes into the hole and over with tape tight. test with recording.

Stab it with a pin a few times?

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