Recently, the Twelve Security blog reported that Wyze Labs, makers of a line of popular affordable security cameras, had suffered a huge breach in which the company’s production databases were left entirely open to the internet. This exposed the personal data of 2.4 million users, including usernames and emails, WiFi information, and health information. This is not the first time Wyze has been breached, and the last occurred just six months ago.
Many people continue to use companies that have suffered a breach, and it doesn’t seems to damage their reputation as much as we thought it may have a few years ago. Some people may interpret a data breach as a time where they reevaluate their security and make changes for the better.
However, security doesn’t just lie in the hands of the manufactures. Cyber security is a two way street and users of all IoT devices need to up their awareness on the risks and take measures to protect themselves and their families. Security cameras are a great way to help protect against physical threats, but this is in vain if the online protection of the device is not considered. Users should use complex and unique passwords for any device that is connected to the internet, and they should choose extra security such as multi factor authentication before allowing it to jump online. There are cyber criminals out there constantly searching to take advantage of devices with poor security, so it is worth spending that extra 5 minutes setting it up correctly.