According to Which, major security flaws have been found in popular smart doorbell’s. This has been raised as it could put consumers at risk of a hacker targeting them inside their homes.
Smart doorbells that are sold on e-commerce marketplace sites such as Amazon are now being removed! Amazon themselves have removed several due to this news now coming to light.
Which have urged the government for new legislation to help keep the customers who are purchasing or looking to purchase smart doorbells safe.
Watchdog have tested 11 popular smart doorbells that were purchased from online marketplaces in the UK. Smart doorbells that were tested include Qihoo, Victure and Ctronics.
The most common vulnerabilities that were found included particularly weak password policies and a very concerning lack of data encryption.
During the tests it was found that two of the devices could be manipulated by a hacker to retrieve home network passwords, and therefore gain access to other smart devices in a home such as TV’s, lighting, cooking appliances, and even heating for example.
The current number one bestselling smart doorbell’s on Amazon UK is the Victure Smart Video Doorbell. This device has been found to send users data to a remote server in China unencrypted! The data included passwords and home network data.
If you decide to purchase a smart doorbell for yourself, or as a Christmas gift this year be sure to do your research! Check Which for the best recommendations, and do not skimp out on trading price for security. Be sure to go with a reputable brand, so that you do not put your data at risk. Opening your home to a hacker because of one compromised device on your network is entirely possible, and you can be sure they will not hesitate if given the chance.
Some recommendations of features to look out for when shopping for a smart doorbell would be that it includes Two Factor Authentication (2FA) and a strong password policy.