Hacked home security cameras streamed online

Do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched inside your own home?

It’s a terrifying thought that's been revealed to be a reality with hundreds of private security cameras across Australia right now beaming live pictures around the world.

In a major security breach uncovered by 9NEWS, many popular brands of surveillance cameras and baby monitors can be viewed by anyone, 24 hours a day.

A website, which 9NEWS has chosen not to name, dubs itself the "biggest directory of online surveillance cameras" and features tens of thousands of live feeds globally.

A quick scroll through the site shows Australian living rooms, backyards with kids playing, as well as pools, gyms, offices, restaurants and barber shops.

Perhaps most concerning, baby monitors allow peeping toms to spy on and record sleeping children.

9NEWS tracked down one beauty salon in Brisbane streamed on the site. A female client said it was "bizarre" to know anyone could have been watching during her eyebrow treatment.

"It's totally and utterly scary," she said.

QUT cyber security and privacy law expert Mark Burdon was shocked to learn of the site when contacted by 9NEWS.

"It can be used for a whole range of criminal purposes such as blackmail," Mr Burdon said.

"Some of the imagery particularly inside the home can provide a very fine insight into a person's life.

"If the hackers can access the video footage there's a chance they can also access the location data too," he said.

Many homeowners are clueless to the fact their private cameras are allowing complete strangers to peer into their lives. It's understood the cameras featured on the website are not properly password protected – essentially giving hackers free rein.

Some of the cameras have no password at all, while others still have the default-password set by the manufacturer – which can be easily guessed.

Security expert Kent Bradford from iConnect Smart Homes said while setting a password on new security cameras could help prevent unauthorised access, it wasn’t fullproof.

"Anything that's on the internet has the potential to be hacked," he said.

"Your system would be vulnerable if you didn't at least change the default password.

"Our advice tends to be to have them (the cameras) externally around the house (and not) have a camera inside a bedroom or anything where people are getting changed because there's a possibility that it can get hacked."

The website JoyofAndroid has produced a security camera guide which is viewable here.