Zimbabwe webcams hijacked by Russian website

Zimbabwe has been listed as one of the countries being spied on by a website containing thousands of live feeds from baby monitors, stand-alone webcams and CCTV systems.

Data watchdogs across the world have drawn attention to the Russian-based site, which broadcasts footage from systems using either default passwords or no log-in codes at all.

The site lists streams from more than 250 countries and other territories.

It currently provides 500 feeds from the UK alone.

The site's database shows listings for 4,591 cameras in the US, 2,059 in France and 1,576 in the Netherlands.

Smaller numbers of feeds are also identified as being available from developing economies including Nicaragua, Pakistan, Kenya, Paraguay and Zimbabwe.

Some of the feeds showed a static image but did not otherwise appear to be working.

According to BBC, the kit has not been "hacked", rather software and search tools have been used to scan the net for feeds that can be accessed using the cameras' default settings.

China-based Foscam was the most commonly listed brand of camera, followed by Linksys and then Panasonic.