" These cameras may not exactly invite cybercriminals into your home, but they don't do everything in their power to keep the criminals out, either. This is not the only instance in which home security cameras have recently come under fire for poor security. Last week, a group of researchers unearthed a huge flaw in the Samsung SmartCam SNH 1011's software, which the researchers believe may affect the entire Samsung SmartCam line. A company called Hanwha Techwin licenses the Samsung name to produce these cameras. It's possible that the Samsung SmartCam HD, a model that we've reviewed, is affeceted. Cheapo cameras from no name manufacturers are even worse, with some having flaws so egregious that researchers recommended that users literally toss them in the garbage. Unsecured IP security cameras can provide cybercriminals not only with not only video, but usually sound and still photos as well, of your home or office. If that weren't reason enough to choose a secure camera, unencrypted transmissions could also leak your Wi Fi password or router credentials, giving an attacker complete control over your home network. An attacker could even draft your camera into a botnet, such as in the recent Mirai DDoS attacks, or spy on your social media interactions, financial dealings and private correspondences. Owning an IP camera may not be a terrible idea; AV TEST points out that burglaries in its native Germany have increased by 10 percent since last year. If you do, however, try to buy from a reputable manufacturer, and keep the firmware up to date all the time.