unauthorised webcams

[asmanjas]

about these"unprotected webcams"... .you type a url like"234.345.456.567/anony/mjpg.cgi" and feeds from a faraway webcam opens in your browser.most of these webcam feeds are from public places (stores,offices etc)but some are private home cams too.so to be sure about certain points:
1) does accessing these unprotected cams comes under ethical or unethical hacking since they probably forgot to passwrd protect their ip cams.i know it cannot be even called 'hacking' .but .....
2) are they really real?or fake video recordings /replayings...
3)can accessing them harm my computer in any way?can they install harms on my comp?
4)if accessing a webcam by just entering the url in the browser ,which i got from google.and not bypassing any security or passwrd .am i doing something illegal?
5}why all of them have "anony"in their address ?is that for 'anonymous' since they forgot to put passwrd?

[Live Wire]

Yeah had these links up awhile ago. I think in general, if you don't like it, don't open the link. Personally, I think that if you are stupid enough to leave a webcam open in your living room, and you keep it unsecured, that's your own damn fault.

[Magnus]

Yeah, you can also access CCTV cameras and stuff like that through Google hacking. For example : type "inurl:view/shtml" in the Google search box and tada! you get live footage from cameras from universities, libraries etc. Though even I don't know whether it's unauthorized or not and whether the footage was actually meant for public viewing or not.

[Stackprotector]

Fun, but never had something really cool always companys and shit.