Few scenarios conjure up digital nightmares darker than a hacked, Internet-connected camera pointing at a baby’s crib. Cybercriminals are spying on children by accessing devices through networks – and even transmitting noises to scare them.  One such incident shook parents in San Francisco, who couldn’t figure out what their 3-year old meant when he told them that he was scared to sleep because the “phone” kept talking to him at night. Until one night when mom walked by and heard a stranger’s voice coming out of the monitor. It said:  “Wake up little boy, daddy’s looking for you.”
Smart baby monitors, which tend to feature a camera, microphone and speaker, pass live feeds through a user’s wireless router and over the Internet in order to be viewed by parents remotely on a smartphone or other device. Without adequate security protections in place, hackers can use the camera and microphone to spy on babies and use the speaker to communicate with them.
Parents have been issued guidelines from a consumer watchdog on how to protect their Internet-connected baby monitors from hackers.
Buy a secure device. Before buying an Internet-connected video monitor, research if it or its applications have any known security vulnerabilities.
Use a strong password and change it regularly.
Register your product so you will be notified of security updates by the manufacturer and install all security updates.
If you are not using the device, turn it off. Hackers can access devices more easily if they are always on.
sources:  newsweek.com; wired.com; dailymail.co.uk; techworm.net