Amazon’s Sidewalk, a neighborhood device network, is ‘uncharted territory’ for data privacy, watchdogs say

A new Amazon feature aimed at keeping users’ home devices connected to the internet by using a friendly slice of neighborhood broadband is already raising concerns about unintended privacy consequences. Amazon’s Sidewalk network pulls slivers of broadband from its users to create a larger network to extend the range for devices further from a users’ home, such as the tracking device Tile or smart lighting at the edge of a users’ property. Benefits of such technology include helping a user find a lost dog or car keys, Amazon touts. It could also keep devices online if the internet of an individual user goes out. Concerns about the expansion of existing home devices’ reach draws on lingering anxieties about internet-connected home devices. Amazon, Google, and other major home security devices have all suffered significant hacks in recent years, while some have collected an alarming amount of users’ private data. Ring’s doorbell […]

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Parler’s Return, Pelosi’s Stolen Laptop, Vaccination Passports

Is the world really ready for COVID-19 vaccination passport apps? Also, the return of Parler, details on Nancy Pelosi’s stolen laptop, the Ubiquiti data breach, Ring end-to-end encryption for video, and other important cybersecurity and privacy news fr… Continue reading Parler’s Return, Pelosi’s Stolen Laptop, Vaccination Passports

Ring launches video End-to-End Encryption for compatible Ring Doorbells and Cams

Ring announced the launch of video End-to-End Encryption for compatible Ring Doorbells and Cams, providing an advanced, opt-in security feature for customers who want to add an additional layer of security to their videos. Ring is the first major smart… Continue reading Ring launches video End-to-End Encryption for compatible Ring Doorbells and Cams

Ring adds encryption tool as other security questions surface

Ring will begin protecting the data that travels through its cameras with end-to-end encryption. The Amazon-owned home security firm announced its intentions to roll out end-to-end encryption, which will protect videos from being seen by unwanted third parties while streaming to customers’ devices, in September. The company said Wednesday it would begin a “technical preview” for the new data protection feature, which encrypts streams from the camera to the device where a footage is streamed. Ring markets its devices as a way to boost neighborhoods’ and customers’ safety, but researchers have routinely accused the company of degrading customers’ security and privacy for years. Meanwhile, TechCrunch on Thursday reported that the company’s companion application, Neighbors, has been exposing some users’ location and home addresses. The application, intended to allow users to anonymously share information with neighbors about crimes or violence captured on their Ring cameras, was collecting location information about posters […]

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FBI Warn Hackers are Using Hijacked Home Security Devices for ‘Swatting’

Stolen email credentials are being used to hijack home surveillance devices, such as Ring, to call police with a fake emergency, then watch the chaos unfold. Continue reading FBI Warn Hackers are Using Hijacked Home Security Devices for ‘Swatting’

Hackaday Links: November 15, 2020

Now that we drive around cars that are more like mobile data centers than simple transportation, there’s a wealth of data to be harvested when the inevitable crashes occur. After a recent Tesla crash on a California highway, a security researcher got a hold of the car’s “black box” and …read more

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Ring’s Flying In-Home Camera Drone Escalates Privacy Worries

Privacy fears are blasting off after Amazon’s Ring division unveiled the new Always Home Cam, a smart home security camera drone. Continue reading Ring’s Flying In-Home Camera Drone Escalates Privacy Worries