UPDATED 21:49 EDT / JANUARY 06 2020

SECURITY

Ring announces new Control Center in response to security concerns

Ring LLC has added new security features to its devices as it faces a lawsuit from users who had their internet-connected home security cameras hacked after they reused the same credentials across multiple sites.

The new initiatives from the Amazon.com Inc.-owned company include the introduction of a new Control Center that allows users to manage their devices and services. The service, pitched as giving users an easy way to view and control privacy and security settings from one dashboard, includes support from mobile, desktop and mobile devices as well as third-party services.

Among its features is a way to opt-out of receiving video requests in areas where local police have joined with Ring to fight crime in the Neighbors App. “Future versions of this feature will make it easy to view and control other privacy and security settings right from the Ring app,” Ring said in a blog post today. “The Control Center will give you more visibility into how your data is kept secure and private by Ring.”

Even though there’s zero evidence that Ring itself has ever been hacked, not everyone is happy with the announcement.

Fight for the Future Deputy Director Evan Green wrote on Tumblr that Amazon is “still putting the responsibility on users to protect these devices, knowing full well that they won’t. You can’t sell a car without seat belts or airbags and then say the driver should have installed them when they get in a crash. Amazon is selling cheap, insecure, internet-connected surveillance cameras and convincing people to put them inside their homes, knowing that they put those people in danger. Their rushed PR cover-up doesn’t even begin to fix that.”

That Fight for the Future writes its anti-Amazon diatribes on Tumblr, last heard to be owned by Automattic Inc., is notable because Tumblr itself has been a longstanding target of hackers thanks to security flaws. Apparently, irony is lost here.

Along with Control Center, Ring also announced Access Controller Pro, a new service that allows customers to admit visitors remotely and receive deliveries via Key by Amazon. When paired with a Ring Video Doorbell or Cam, the Live View can be viewed on the Ring app so users can see who’s at the gate and let them in remotely.

Finally, Ring debuted a range of new smart LED bulbs, the A19 and PAR38. Both bulbs can be controlled through Ring’s dedicated control hub, including support for remote control along with a scheduling feature. The light bulbs will be available online and from Home Depot later this year.

Image: Ring

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