Privacy warning: 5 video doorbells failed security tests – See the list
Smart doorbells are growing in popularity, and they’re more readily available than ever. Between Ring, Nest and numerous other competitors, securing your home has never been easier.
But how “secure” are these security devices, exactly? While they may keep us aware of threats to our homes and families in real life, not all of them can handle threats from the digital realm. Tap or click here to see the security settings you need to change on your video doorbell.
To get a better feel for the cybersecurity behind video doorbells, “Consumer Reports” tested multiple models to see how well they handled data and privacy factors. To everyone’s surprise, multiple systems failed these tests — and showed just how much data they’re leaving open to hackers.
Multiple models of video doorbell fail basic security check
According to security reviews published by “Consumer Reports,” several popular video doorbell models were found to lack basic security standards that protect users from snooping, hacking and other kinds of abuse. Private data, including personally-identifying information, is easily accessible and unprotected — which puts it at risk for hackers to take.
The tests were performed by examining settings menus, verifying security options and checking for data access on each device. Each of the devices was scored according to whether or not it included proper security and data protection features.
The five main models that failed the tests typically left data unencrypted or lacked proper authentication from external requests. Surprisingly, many of the models also lacked basic two-factor authentication to protect accounts from being compromised.
Tap or click here to see how to set up 2FA for your favorite social media sites.
To help readers make better decisions “Consumer Reports” listed the five worst offenders that failed several of the basic security checks. If you have any of these smart video doorbells, you might want to replace them in the near future:
Eufy T8200: CR found vulnerabilities including exposed account information like email addresses and Wi-Fi passwords. Eufy has since released an app update to fix the leak, which can be installed by downloading the Eufy Security app from Google Play.
GoControl GC-DBC-1: Usernames and passwords were not properly secured by this doorbell. The company did not respond to CR’s requests for comment.
LaView One Halo LV-PDB1630-U: Wi-Fi network names and passwords were inadvertently exposed by poor encryption on this video doorbell. LaView allegedly disagreed with the severity of the issue.
Netvue VueBell Camera NI-4011 and Netvue Bell AI: These two doorbells failed to properly secure user accounts, which can potentially grant access to usernames and passwords, as well as email addresses. If users share their password from Netvue anywhere else, it could easily become compromised. No fix is currently available.
What should I do to secure my video doorbell?
As of right now, your best option is to look at your product and make sure that any apps you use to control or interact with it are up-to-date with the latest version. Downloading new versions of these apps will install firmware updates for your video doorbells, which typically includes security patches.
You may also want to double-check your router to make sure it’s secure enough to keep hackers out. Because your video doorbell connects over Wi-Fi, that means it can easily be accessed if your network is cracked.
Adjusting your router’s security settings can make all the difference in safeguarding your network from intruders. Tap or click here for 5 router settings you need to keep hackers away.
And if you’re looking for a safer way to protect your home and family, we recommend our sponsor SimpliSafe. In fact, SimpliSafe smart doorbells were part of the “Consumer Reports” study and were found to be some of the best on the market.
The SimpliSafe Doorbell Pro SS3 received a rating of “very good,” which was tops among those tested. One reason is SimpliSafe does offer 2FA, which is critical in protecting your data.
SimpliSafe includes cameras, motion detectors and a video doorbell in one complete home security package. Visit SimpliSafeKim.com today, for a special offer just for you!
Tags: cybersecurity, data protection, encryption, firmware updates, Google, hackers, hacks, Nest, Ring, security, two-factor authentication, video doorbell, vulnerabilities
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