Is the camera in your home protecting you — or is someone watching you through it?
The question may sound somewhat unsettling. But recent cyberattacks show that such risks are no longer a theoretical possibility.
Some time ago, information emerged about a cyber operation called Operation CameraSwarm. According to the investigation, unauthorized access was gained to more than 14,000 IP cameras in just 35 days.
The news reminded me of an operation carried out last year by Azerbaijan's State Security Service. During that operation, it was established that surveillance cameras installed in homes and offices in our country had been accessed without authorization over the internet.
Even more disturbing was the fact that video footage of people's private and family lives had been posted on foreign internet resources, and accounts allowing live viewing of some cameras had even been put up for sale.
Together with the relevant agencies, the State Security Service identified the compromised devices and took measures to close the security gap and delete the footage.
Now imagine: the camera you installed in your home for your security itself becomes a threat to your private life.
But cameras are no longer found only in our homes and offices. They are also part of our cars. Modern vehicles have cameras monitoring the cabin, the road and the surroundings, as well as microphones, a range of sensors and internet-connected control systems.
Recently, another cyberattack was uncovered involving Android-based multimedia systems used in cars. Hackers used the devices' legitimate update application to load malware onto them; as a result, the cars' multimedia systems were connected to a botnet without their owners' knowledge and used in third parties' internet operations.
Although there was no information about interference with the systems controlling the vehicles' movement or with their cameras in those attacks, the incident shows that even an ordinary multimedia unit inside a car can become an entry point for a cyberattack.
Moreover, the issue is not limited to cars.
How secure, then, are smart robots that move freely around the home and see their surroundings through cameras?
In 2026, as a result of a security flaw discovered in DJI Romo robot vacuums, a researcher was able to access data belonging to around 7,000 other robots. This data included maps of homes, the locations of the devices and even live camera footage.
Note that we are not talking about just a camera. We are talking about a device that moves through the rooms of a home, maps the space and, in some models, collects images and sound.
Now let us think one step further: humanoid robots.
Human-like robots are already moving beyond simple movements to more complex physical tasks. They are being taught to pick up objects, open doors, adapt to their surroundings and interact with people.
But how do robots learn all this?
In the initial stage, many companies' humanoid robots carry out this learning with the help of remotely connected operators. These operators adapt the robots to homes by controlling them remotely. In other words, the movements of the humanoid robot in your home are directed from outside, with external control over its eyes — that is, its cameras.
This is, of course, a major technological achievement. But it also raises new security questions.
Where is the data the robot sees stored? Who can access it? Who updates the software? If the robot's control system is compromised, is it possible to interfere with its physical movements?
These concerns are already on governments' radar. In 2026, for example, the United States introduced new national-security-based restrictions on advanced robotic devices manufactured abroad. The main concerns include remote control capabilities, data security and foreign technological dependencies.
Robotics is, in fact, a field very close to my heart. Twenty-four years ago, as the creator of the first robot in the country, I took part with my own robot in the national championship of the children's and youth science and technology creativity competition. Interestingly, because there was no robotics category at the time, I entered the competition in the radio engineering category and was awarded third place.
Back then, the idea that these technologies would develop so far and become part of our daily lives seemed like fantasy. Today, robots are gradually entering our homes, workplaces and industry.
I see the development of robotics as a great opportunity. But as technologies advance, our approaches to managing the risks they create must change too.
I believe that Azerbaijan already needs to begin building legal and technical regulatory mechanisms in this area.
This is not only about humanoid robots, which are emerging as a new source of risk. Surveillance cameras, smart home devices and other internet-connected equipment also create different security risks depending on the nature of the data they collect, the networks they connect to and the purposes for which they are used.
In this regard, it would be advisable in particular to classify surveillance cameras and robotic systems by risk level, functional capabilities and areas of application, to license certain categories and to set security requirements.
Especially for critical information infrastructure, a mechanism should be established under which the competent authorities conduct a prior security assessment and issue an opinion on which manufacturers, and which types of cameras, robots and other smart equipment, may be permitted for use.
This mechanism should take into account the devices' origin, software, remote control capabilities, where data is stored, update mechanisms and the risks of dependence on the supplier.
The aim is not to restrict the adoption of technologies, but to create clear rules for their secure use.
Because in the future, the security of our critical infrastructure will also depend on which devices we connect to those systems and how much authority we give them.
