Covering your computer microphone with tape will do nothing, here’s what you should do instead

Recently, Mark Zuckerberg had posted a picture on Instagram that had him and his Apple MacBook in the background. A closer look of the photograph revealed that not only Zuckerberg’s MacBook webcam but also the microphone of the MacBook was covered with what appeared like a tape, thereby explaining his paranoia about hackers snooping on his privacy.
While it may be thought that placing a tape over the microphone can ensure safety, Mashabledecided to test this technique. However, on examination, they found that Zuckerberg’s method with clear tape as well as thicker gaffer’s tape did not work. In fact, it did not even reduce the microphone’s audio pickup even when doubled up.
While covering your webcam is a definite strategy to keep away webcam hackers, but if you wish to protect your microphone, you will have to be just a little extra creative.It is quite simple. All you need to do is make your PC deaf to give hackers the run-around.
Just join a pair of earbuds that hold a microphone into your 3.5mm audio jack, then cut off the earbud with the mic on it — often the proper one — slightly below the mic.
While you may have destroyed a pair of headphones, this method does work.
Once you plug in earbuds with a built-in mic, your PC automatically changes the default audio input from the interior mic to the new external mic. Also, when you cut the line to the microphone, the PC does not go back to the default interior mic, and it cannot receive any audio from the (now missing) exterior mic, either.
However, it is possible for a hacker to switch the input audio back to the internal mic, if they have complete control over your computer. But, in case if they are running an automated program, they will probably only pick up whatever is currently set to default.
This is how you can provide higher level of security to your PC than Mark Zuckerberg’s, thanks to Mashable.