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Private cameras are supposed to make people feel safer. The small internet-connected devices can be mounted outside your home to deter or record potential criminals, or inside to keep an eye on pets or elderly parents.
Those same cameras can also put the people who own them at risk. They're vulnerable to hacks and can collect personal data, and their sensitive footage can be mishandled by companies or their employees.
The Federal Trade Commission recently asserted that the camera maker Ring allowed employees to access videos of customers and failed to use adequate security measures to protect the cameras against hacking. Amazon bought the company in 2018, and most of the problems took place before the acquisition.
"Ring promptly addressed these issues on its own years ago, well before the FTC began its inquiry," Ring spokeswoman Emma Daniels said in a statement. "While we disagree with the FTC's allegations and deny violating the law, this settlement resolves this matter so we can focus on innovating on behalf of our customers."
The safest option is not to install cameras at all. But if you want to use them, here are steps you can take to do it safely.
• What to look for before you buy a camera
On Amazon alone, there are more than 40 brands of home security cameras from which to choose. Try to use a brand that is reputable and is owned by a company you've heard of or can easily research. The biggest players are associated with names you know, among them Nest (Google), Ring or Blink (Amazon), and product lines from Panasonic and General Electric. Other players include Arlo, SimpliSafe, Wyze Labs and Anker's Eufy.
Beware of unknown brands. You can find many cheap, oddly named knockoff cameras, but these will carry the biggest security risks. Something like Ring may have had more high-profile issues, but it also has the budget, backing and motivation to remedy problems properly.
"No company is going to have a perfect track record, but you want someone who is vetted and is going to take the issue seriously," says Jake Laperruque, the deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology's Security and Surveillance Project.
Make sure each camera has a light that lets you know the gadget is on, and look for a physical cover that can go over the camera vs. trusting that the software has turned it off. If you're buying a more niche product, such as a camera designed just for monitoring pets, it should be equally secure.
• Turn on end-to-end encryption
The most important feature if you're interested in security is end-to-end encryption for your footage. This should mean that your files can't be viewed by the camera company or even law enforcement if subpoenaed, and that it's monumentally harder for hackers to access them. You'll want to confirm that the files are encrypted on the servers where they're backed up and that the company does not have the key to decipher them.
Although encryption has become more common across the industry, many companies do not turn it on by default. You'll need to go directly to your settings after setup and make sure you've enabled it.
• Change the default passwords
Many security devices and even routers come with default passwords set up. Change this immediately to a unique strong password that you, hopefully, store safety in a password manager. Change any default user name provided. Finally, turn on multi-factor authentication for the account you use with the camera, meaning you will have to enter a confirmation code from a text or app when logging on from new devices.
• Save to your own servers and set up a separate WiFi network
If you are using many internet connected smart home gadgets, consider setting up a second WiFi network just for them, says Ellen Boehm, the senior vice president for IoT Strategy & Operations at the cybersecurity company Keyfactor. She says the easiest way for hackers to get into your home network is through the weakest device you own - an old smart doorbell or a smart light that hasn't been updated in years. By keeping those devices on a different network from your computers, televisions and phones, you limit damage from a hack.
If you have the know-how and are extra cautious, you can set up cameras to record to your own server at home instead of the cloud. You are in control of a server you own instead of relying on third-parties to use the proper security measures or procedures for dealing with law enforcement.
"The gold standard is what it was a generation ago, if you had a private security camera, it probably backed up to a VCR in your garage," says Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at digital civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He says private servers are the modern version of that and let you control your footage.
• Imagine the worst when choosing where to place cameras
It can be temping to put cameras in every room, to check in on your children when you're running late or to see where your cat is right now. Since no camera, or technology, is 100 percent safe from risk, avoid putting them anywhere where they could capture sensitive footage.
If video from your kitchen leaks, that might not be too big of an issue. If a camera is pointed inside your bathroom or children's bedroom, however, that footage could fall into the wrong hands and be posted or traded online, or even used for blackmail.
Instead of putting a camera where it can record an entire room, place it where it can monitor entrances and exits. That's the information you're more likely to want if you're using the camera for security.
"If you're worried about someone passing into a room, think about the pass-through - that view," says Boehm. "There's one door you need to know if they go in or out of."
• Know how to deal with the police
It makes sense that, at some point, law enforcement may want access to footage captured by one of your cameras. If you are the victim of a crime or trying to help a neighbor who was, you can send any clips directly to the police. Do not grant law enforcement access directly to your camera or account. Instead, offer to download the file and email it to an officer.
"Make sure you are only handing over something very specific and you know what it is and why they want it," says the CDT's Laperruque.
If law enforcement is looking for footage that you are not comfortable or interested in sharing, know your rights. They cannot obtain it without consent or a warrant.
"Warrants exist for a reason. If police want to come look at the footage and they have a good reason for it, a judge will grant them a warrant," says Guariglia.
Many camera companies have special programs that can give law enforcement emergency access to camera footage. However, if your files are truly end-to-end encrypted (see above), law enforcement would not be able to access them without going to you.
• Don't be the creepy one; tell people about your cameras
Make sure everyone in the house is aware of where your cameras are and when they are on. You should tell any elderly relatives if you are monitoring them, let children know as soon as they're old enough to understand what a camera is, and always inform guests, especially if they are staying with you.
Use smart home apps or a camera's own settings to disable cameras when certain people are home, so you are recording only when the house should be empty.
• Manage expectations for what a camera can do
The reality is that cameras don't always deter criminals and police don't always use footage to try to track them down.
"If cameras prevented crime, we wouldn't have so much footage of crime happening," said the EFF's Guariglia. "There's no evidence that having a camera prevents crime."
Being realistic can help you balance your security needs with the downsides of having microphones and cameras in your private spaces. Instead of more cameras, you can add less-invasive security features such as motion activated floodlights, strong locks and an on-call alarm system that will summon law enforcement when triggered.
• Assume everyone else's cameras are not secure
It's not just the cameras you buy and install yourself. If you've left your home today (and no judgment if you haven't), there's a good chance you were captured on multiple security cameras. Maybe it was your face in the drugstore or your phone conversation as you walked by a neighbor's front door.
Just because you follow best practices doesn't mean neighbors, businesses or the local government do. Proceed with caution, even if it's just to grab some milk at the corner store.
If you're staying at a hotel or short-term rental and are worried that cameras might be in use, you can take a few precautions. Inspect any devices such as alarm clocks, fire alarms and similar devices for hidden cameras, unplug anything that makes you nervous or that has an obvious camera. Look for suspicious WiFi network equipment, and if you're especially concerned, you can disable the hosts WiFi while you are there.
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