How-To
Ring security cams are getting hacked left and right – here’s how to protect yours
You have to secure your security cameras.
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Amazon Ring is supposed to be for home security, right? After all, their ongoing commercials show the doorbell cameras preventing robberies and home intrusions.
But, if you do a quick Google search, you can find a collection of results displaying Ring cameras being hacked. Along with the videos that show them. The footage is both disturbing and genuinely scary. This one, tweeted by Memphis-based news anchor Jessica Holley, showcases how bad it can be.
Each time I've watched this video it's given me chills.
A Desoto County mother shared this Ring video with me. Four days after the camera was installed in her daughters' room she says someone hacked the camera & began talking to her 8-year-old daughter.
More at 6 on #WMC5 pic.twitter.com/77xCekCnB0
— Jessica Holley (@Jessica_Holley) December 10, 2019
That footage, along with the many many many other ones, might cause folks to second guess their recent purchase or take even greater precautions. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to protect yourself from potential hacks.
Do you own a Ring and need to keep hackers away? Here’s what you can do
Image: KnowTechie
Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication is a way to literally double-check who is logging into an account on an app, website, etc. How it works is a user log in and is then asked for a phone number or email where a second password or numeric code will be sent to them.
That new password/code will be used to log in a second time. Ring can be enabled to use this, which can be further protection for someone’s account, and it can be turned on within the company’s app.
How to enable two-factor authentication on Ring
- Open up the Ring app
- On the main screen of the app, tap on the menu (the three-horizontal-lines) icon on the right-hand corner
- Within this menu, tap on Account
- The Account menu lists the Two-Factor Authentication option – tap on it
- Then, turn on Two-Factor Authentication on this menu
- The app will ask you to enter your password and mobile number to send a six-digit code – Ring sends the user one shortly thereafter
- Enter the six-digit code and you are now set up
Change your passwords and/or email address attached to the account
Image: KnowTechie
Having a constantly changing password throws hackers off. It always helps to have a long one with numbers or punctuation marks where letters should be. Also, don’t use the same email for both Ring and Amazon, as it gives hackers even more leeway for more attacks. Likewise for social media platforms, such as Ring’s own Neighbors which can be a great gateway for cybercriminals.
Also, it’s a good idea to check to see if your email address has been compromised in some way, shape or form. Google even has its own tool for this task now.
Always update your software
This is key since most hackers usually work with and know the ins-and-outs of older versions of the software. By agreeing to a simple software update, Ring users can stall any potential attacks by giving hackers a completely unfamiliar territory.
Place Ring cameras in hard-to-reach spots
Image: Amazon
If a random thief steals a Ring camera, they can obtain access to private information about the home that the camera is watching. Put the cameras on the second story and keep the screws that are holding it to the wall tightened.
Deleting footage always helps
When hackers get into a person’s Ring camera and steal footage, they will know what the house looks like. Thus, giving them access where someone can break-in. Users should remove any recorded footage daily or weekly from the cloud in order to prevent that.
There you have it, a handful of tips to help keep you and your family secure. It might seem like a lot of work on the service, but it is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
What do you think? Plan on taking these steps to secure your Ring devices? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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