Deaf News: Net sicko hacks baby monitor to swear at sleeping deaf toddler

ABC News reported that a Houston family was startled to discover that a baby monitor in their young children’s bedroom was taken over by a hacker who verbally cursed them.

The Gilberts said they heard a “British or European” voice in the bedroom and discovered that the voice was coming from their wireless baby monitor – equipped with a camera – which they used to keep an eye on their young children.

Marc Gilbert told ABC News that the hacker shouted vile abuse at his two-year-old deaf daughter Allyson through the hacked monitor. Gilbert said the whole experience made him feel if “somebody broke into your house.” He said it was “a blessing” that his daughter Allyson could not hear vile abuse.

The family have long since unplugged their baby monitor after their sinister encounter with the foul-mouthed hacker.

Computer security experts urge parents and webcam users – especially deaf users – to make sure that their baby monitors and webcams are password-protected.

Extract:

“The incident occurred on Aug. 10 as Marc Gilbert was doing the dishes after his birthday dinner and he heard strange noises coming from his daughter Allyson’s room while she was sleeping, Gilbert said.

 “Right away I knew something was wrong,” he told ABC News.

 As he and his wife got closer to the room, they heard the voice calling his daughter an “effing moron,” and telling her, “wake up you little s**t.”

 The hacker then began shouting expletives at her parents and calling Gilbert a stupid moron and his wife a b****.

 “At that point I ran over and disconnected it and tried to figure out what happened,” said Gilbert. “[I] Couldn’t see the guy. All you could do was hear his voice and [that] he was controlling the camera.””

 http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/08/baby-monitor-hacking-alarms-houston-parents/

By Paul Harrison, the Limping Chicken’s News Reporter. Paul is a freelance journalist, currently living and working in London. When not at his desk writing or tweeting, he can be found at a coffee shop or Loftus Road/The Stoop/Celtic Park (delete as applicable) mumbling insults at the referee or sloppy passing. Follow him on Twitter as @paulbharrison

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