In the news: Soon to be published, Skype back-door trojan code?

[Tim]

Tim:
>> Unfortunately, this webcam is one built into my laptop, so simply
>> disconnecting is not an option.  I've opened up as much of the laptop
>> as I can without risking breaking bits, and I can't find a connection
>> for the camera.  So mine has tape over it, now.

Patrick O'Callaghan:
> Do you have cotton wool over the microphone as well?

No, and that wouldn't stop much, anyway.  The same tape covers the
microphone, but that'd only make a slight difference.  Like those people
who think you can't hear what they're saying about someone on the phone
when they hold the microphone to their chest...  ;-)

But surreptitiously getting people's pictures in private and being able
to do something with them, which is dead easy to do, such as people
using their laptop in bed, lends itself to all sorts of undesirable
scenarios.  Merely being there lets someone make use of your picture.

Sound, on the other hand, requires you to be talking.  That's probably
something most people won't be doing, unless they're really bad readers,
or are silly enough to speak out their password as they type it in.

-- 
[tim at localhost ~]$ uname -r
2.6.27.25-78.2.56.fc9.i686

Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored.  I
read messages from the public lists.