Poland woman says security cam hacker spied on her at home
A Poland township woman has taken legal action alleging that someone hacked into her home video security system.Jocelyn Pannunzio has filed a lawsuit seeking damages for invasion of privacy.
1/2
POLAND, Ohio - Imagine someone watching every move you make inside your home.
That's what prompting a Poland township woman to take legal action alleging that someone hacked into her home video security system.
Jocelyn Pannunzio has filed a lawsuit seeking damages for invasion of privacy.
Pannunzio wanted a video system to monitor her son's bedroom so she could watch him at night when she wasn't home.
When the system developed a problem, a technician made a disturbing discovery and asked if they had been logging in to the system.
“We don't even know how to log in. Just from our I-phones,” said Pannunzio. The technician told Pannunzio that someone had been logging in everyday, all day”.
Dave Betras is Pannunzio's attorney, who had the system checked by a computer forensic expert.
“I have proof that someone hacked into her home system and someone monitored her and recorded her in her own home” said Betras.
Pannunzio says it's disturbing to know that loving moments with her son were not really private.
“I would go down and I would just sit with him and breast feed him. Put him back to sleep and if he woke up at 5 a.m., go in again,” said Pannunzio
Betras says all efforts to locate the man who did the original installation have failed, but they have traced the internet protocol address, or IP to a firm in St. Louis. However, the company would not release an individual's name without a court order.
“They notify whoever the person is that they've been ordered, and they have to give them 14 days notice that they're turning the name over to us,” said Betras.
At this point they don't know exactly what was recorded and how it was used.
“To date we don't know if it's been shared on social media,” said Betras.
Computer experts say it's important that you change the default code of any device and have a protected personal password
"Without that password requirement, I don't care if it's a refrigerator or an alarm system or something that controls the lights in your home, you are vulnerable,” said Dr. Kriss Schueller from the YSU Computer Science Department.
