A research project by an Emirati engineer could make home security cameras harder to hijack.
Mohammed Al Shehhi, a data scientist and lecturer at the Higher Colleges of Technology, has developed a system that detects cyberattacks on home cameras. Reports say it works 31 times faster than global benchmarks.
The numbers behind the claim
The headline figures are specific. The research achieved 97.45 per cent accuracy in detecting 14 types of cyberattack, while reducing the size of the model by 57 per cent. The speed comparison is the researcher’s own, measured against existing benchmarks.
The size reduction may matter as much as the accuracy. A smaller model is what makes the approach viable for smart devices with limited processing power. Many consumer cameras have little memory and modest chips. Detection tools built for powerful servers often cannot run on them.
Why cameras are a target
Connected cameras sit in homes, nurseries, shops and garages. They stay switched on and linked to the internet around the clock. Unlike a laptop or phone, they rarely show obvious signs when something is wrong.
Attackers look for exactly this combination. A weak password, outdated firmware or an exposed network port can be enough to view footage, take control of a device or use it to attack other systems. When a compromised device is slow to be spotted, the damage grows. The case for detecting attacks quickly, and on the device itself, is therefore easy to make.
Presented to an international audience
Al Shehhi presented the work at the 12th World Forum on Internet of Things. The UAE has made digital security and smart-device adoption a national priority. One day earlier, Dubai Police and Meta announced a partnership aimed at raising cybersecurity awareness and combating online fraud. A home-grown research result in the same space fits that wider push.
What this means for households
It is too early to say when, or whether, the system will reach consumer products. Research results do not always become commercial tools, and independent testing usually follows publication. Readers should treat the figures as the researcher’s reported results rather than a product guarantee.
In the meantime, basic habits still make the biggest difference for anyone with a smart camera at home:
- Change the default password and use a unique, long one.
- Install firmware updates as soon as the manufacturer releases them.
- Turn off remote access features you do not use.
- Keep cameras on a separate network from phones and laptops where your router allows it.
A sign of local research strength
The work also says something about the UAE’s academic base. A lecturer at a federal institution, presenting at an international forum, is working on a problem that affects ordinary households. If follow-up studies confirm the results, the model’s small footprint could attract the attention of device makers, who are always looking for security features that do not slow down cheap hardware.
For now, the research is a promising step. It shows that effective detection does not have to be heavy or expensive, and that it can be built close to home.
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