{"id":51417,"date":"2016-07-20T18:26:18","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T01:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=51417"},"modified":"2025-08-31T22:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T05:18:29","slug":"webcam-blackmail-delilah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/webcam-blackmail-delilah\/","title":{"rendered":"Webcam Blackmail: How Cybercriminals Breathe Life into Laptops"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stories of inanimate objects coming to life are familiar to us. Movies such as Toy Story show the idea\u2019s cultural weight, and Greek mythology on humans being morphed into objects show its history. But in today\u2019s day and age, technology can make fairy tales seem real. What if the laptop, that familiar tool we use for just about everything, came to life?<\/p>\n

Sure, the laptop isn\u2019t actually<\/em> a sentient being, but a new cybersecurity threat makes it feel that way. The computer malware named \u201cDelilah<\/a>\u201d allows criminals to tap into users\u2019 most sensitive information and capture photos of their lives\u2014through the victims\u2019 own computers.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it works: the first contact happens unknowingly on adult and gaming websites, where the threat is unknowingly downloaded through malicious pop-ups and other methods. From there, the malware scans the computer<\/a> for sensitive information. It hunts for family details, knowledge about workplaces, and embarrassing secrets. Cybercriminals then view<\/a> this data combined in a single place. Once they dig up enough dirt, they proceed to blackmail the victim. There\u2019s no alchemy here: it\u2019s malware that transforms computers into a Pandora\u2019s box.<\/p>\n

But this threat can make laptops truly appear to have a life of their own. That\u2019s because Delilah can hijack webcams to record a person\u2019s life\u2014as if the machine were watching the user. The malware takes regular screenshots of a user\u2019s laptop, documenting websites, emails, receipts, and user accounts.<\/p>\n

Now, this all sounds like a gadget from a spy movie\u2014that\u2019s actually not far off the mark. The malware is meant for recruiting insiders<\/a> within organizations or extorting influential people. That\u2019s a high-grade, niche purpose. That said, the virus is only being passed around in tight-knit illegal groups. So it\u2019s pretty unlikely you\u2019d come face to face with this threat as an individual. Common crooks don\u2019t have their hands on it, and most people aren\u2019t likely to be targets.<\/p>\n

At the same time, everyone should be aware of these methods. Knowledge is important and there are similar, less advanced cybercriminal tactics<\/a> being leveraged out there.<\/p>\n

How Stay Protected While Connected<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s what you can do to stay protected every day, when connecting to your devices:<\/p>\n