Special Report: Cell spy

Babysitters abusing the children they care for. Thieves breaking into your home and stealing your valuable possessions. They're real life nightmares all of us want to avoid.

But Csille Clark of Wenham can use her cell phone to find out what's going on with her baby, her dogs and her home, even when she's miles away.

Csille Clark, Mother
"It gives us a great peace of mind."

It's new technology that allows you to monitor your home through streaming video sent directly to your cell phone.

Csille Clark, Mother
"You have a second set of eyes, and you know exactly what's happening with your baby."

The system is simple to set up and costs about $99 to start. You just place wireless cameras around your house.

Rick Avery, Security Expert
"Wherever you have that camera set up you can watch what's going on."

Here's how it works: when any motion is detected in a room, the camera sends you a text alert straight to your cell phone. Log in, and you can watch streaming video right from your phone or computer. You can even move the camera remotely to get a better view.

Csille Clark, Mother
"If there's a problem, I can give a call to the babysitter."

But security experts warn, without the proper precautions, hackers could break into your system.

Rick Avery, Security Expert
"Somebody half a mile away if they're logged in to your wireless frequency can actually watch you in your home. Potentially, it can be a very dangerous thing."

They suggest you choose a system with encryption technology to keep unauthorized viewers out.

As for Csille, being able to check on baby Forrester from work gives her a priceless sense of security.

You don't need to buy a special phone to use this technology. Any cell phone that can access the Internet can be turned into a home monitoring device.

For more information:
Motorola Home Monitoring & Control System products

(Copyright (c) 2006 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)