Avast revealed Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability the findings of its research experiment into smart devices , including public and private webcam vulnerabilities in Spain , and , specifically , in Barcelona . Avast identified Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability more than 22,000 webcams and baby monitors in the city that are vulnerable Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability to attack , which means that cybercriminals could livestream the videos directly to the Internet . The findings identified Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability more than 493,000 smart devices in Barcelona and 5.3 million in Spain overall – including smart kettles , coffee machines , garage doors , fridges , thermostats and other IP-connected devices – that are connected to the internet and vulnerable to attacks Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability . In the experiment , Avast found : Conducted in partnership with IoT search engine Shodan.io , the experiment proves just how easy it is for anyone – including cybercriminals – to scan IP addresses and ports over the Internet and classify what device is on each IP address . And , with a little extra effort and know-how , hackers can also find out the type of device ( webcam , printer , smart kettle , fridge and so on ) , brand , model and the version of software it is running . As webcams and other devices are vulnerable Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability , there are a range of security , legal and privacy concerns to be addressed Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability . Snoopers could easily access and watch Attack.Databreach Mobile World Congress visitors and Barcelona residents in private and public spaces , and stream the video directly to the internet , or turn the device into a bot . Smart device manufacturers also collect and store private user data , including behavioral data , contact information , and credit card details , which poses an additional risk if intercepted Attack.Databreach by cybercriminals . And while the problem is in no way confined to Barcelona , Spain , or indeed to webcams , it is particularly challenging for the city as it is hosting thousands of mobile and technology industry executives at Mobile World Congress 2017 this week . When a device is infected , it can also be used to infect other devices , to add them to a botnet , or to take control over them and do harm to their owner . This includes kitchen and other household devices , to which cybercriminals can give remote orders , for example , to heat up water in a kettle .