'It made me sick': Mum claims hackers spied on her family using baby monitor
A young Perth mother believes cyber hackers have used a baby monitor to spy on her and her young daughter.
Katie McMurray and her partner Sean Johnson, from Waikiki, thought a baby monitor would give them peace of mind - instead, it's turned into a disturbing invasion of their privacy.
The baby monitor allowed them to watch three-month-old Chelsea from another room, or via an app on Sean's phone.
But on Tuesday the high-tech helper turned sinister.
While Katie changed her daughter's nappy, she noticed the camera iris move and turn to track her every move.
"Shocked, really made me quite sick," she told 7 News.
"I feel like we buy these things to make sure our kids are safe, and then you don't know who is watching," her partner Sean said.
Curtin University cyber expert Dr Tama Leaver said any internet applications accessed through home wi-fi could carry a risk.
"Anything that's on the internet has a particular 'footprint' which can be traced," Dr Leaver said.
Sean took a screenshot of the camera view via an app on his phone, and the couple were alarmed when they saw red text in a foreign language.
Even though Katie and Sean had taken safety precautions - setting a password for the camera as well as their home internet - the hacker had managed to penetrate the network.
The couple have since since returned the monitor.
"Be careful," Katie said. "Anyone could be looking at your children."
