We have a surveillance system that uses a computer and we are
considering hooking up it up to the internet using a static ip
address(through a dsl line). Can someone hack into the computer
through a static ip address if they are given the address?

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 13 Mar 2006 20:46 PST

onoitsono...

Any static IP address can be hacked, especially if the hacker
is given the address. This question I answered previously 
provides a complete solution to safeguarding your computer
using a collection of freeware and either a freeware software
firewall or a hardware firewall. Please review it, andm if it
satisfies your interests in asking this question, let me know,
and I'll post a formal answer and collect the fee:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=568868#answer

sublime1-ga

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Clarification of Question by onoitsono-ga on 14 Mar 2006 03:20 PST

sublime1
I appreciate your reply. I know how to protect. To better clarify my
question...We have installed cameras in our pool area that is run into
a laptop that we are using as a dvr to record what goes on. We are
going to run that to a dsl line so that cameras can be acessed from a
web site...so that people that know the ip address can access the
recorded feed. I am leery about publishing the web site to the rest of
our community. My concern is that given the ip address somebody...with
the time and knowledge could hack into the system( and mess with the
computer enough to disrupt our system...our installer says I am way
off the mark and that I am wrong for my concerns.

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 17 Mar 2006 16:40 PST

As mister4u-ga notes, there are plenty of people that search for
unpublished URLs for webcams in the hopes of finding something 
interesting, so your URL could be found and hacked in the sense
of someone watching the video feed, but the chances that they 
would attempt to hack the website or, even less likely, the
computer acting as a server, are essentially nil. Furthermore,
given the uninteresting content of the cam feed, they will 
likely skip by your site in a big hurry.

Let me know if this resolves your concerns...

sublime1-ga

These guys might http://johnny.ihackstuff.com/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=632

I work in the area of video surveillance software and I can say your
safety strongly depends on your monitoring and surveillance software
you have installed.

To decrease the risk to be hacked to minimum, you should just make 4
things: two obvious, one really important and one which is good for
all possible tasks.

1. Install a firewall on your PC with only one port open (exactly the
port to view you video records and probably live video, like port 80
or whatever is written in your surveillance software documentation).

2. Check your surveillance software (if you don't have one you can
choose any good from using Google. For example, many of video
surveillance software you can find here:
http://www.video-home-surveillance.com/software-reviews/

3. Check in Google or other search engine, if your video surveillance
software has any known vulnearabilities. For example, type in Google:
"vulnerabilities active webcam"
and you receive a list of found vulnerabilities:

"Multiple Vulnerabilities of PY Software Active Webcam WebServer"
http://lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2005-March/032334.html

"Active WebCam directory traversal and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities"
http://www3.cai.com/securityadvisor/vulninfo/Vuln.aspx?ID=26887
 
4. And last but not least, is to install all known windows security
updates, to minimize a risk of "scripting" vunerabilities. And switch
on DEP (data execution prevention) feature of Windows XP SP2 (in
Properties of MyComputer) to minimize the risk of buffer overflow
hack.

Thanks tiamat2 and all for your advice.