After breaking into the networks of a security-camera startup, hackers looking to raise public awareness of the dangers of mass surveillance said they were able to see clearly into hospitals, classrooms, warehouses, prisons, and corporate offices.
Verkada, a California-based startup, said on Wednesday that it is investigating the extent of the breach, which was first mentioned by Bloomberg, and that it has informed law enforcement and customers.
The intruders are said to have gained access to feeds from as many as 150,000 surveillance cameras operated by Verkada’s customers, including Tesla, Equinox, and Cloudflare.
Tillie Kottmann, a member of the APT-69420 Arson Cats, characterized the group as a small community of “primarily queer hackers, not backed by any nations or capital but instead backed by the desire for fun, being gay, and a better world” in an online chat with The Associated Press.
