Ring Fired Employees for Watching Customer Videos (vice.com) 55
Amazon-owned home security camera company Ring has fired employees for improperly accessing Ring users' video data, Motherboard reported Wednesday, citing a letter the company wrote to Senators. From the report: The news highlights a risk across many different tech companies: employees may abuse access granted as part of their jobs to look at customer data or information. In Ring's case this data can be particularly sensitive though, as customers often put the cameras inside their home. "We are aware of incidents discussed below where employees violated our policies," the letter from Ring, dated January 6th, reads. "Over the last four years, Ring has received four complaints or inquiries regarding a team member's access to Ring video data," it continues. Ring explains that although each of these people were authorized to view video data, their attempted access went beyond what they needed to access for their job.
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Why is that even possible? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Because coding corporate intranet interfaces securely is much more expensive and time consuming. It is cheaper and easier for management to just put everything on the honor system and cover their asses in the EULA.
(In other words: They should have hired me instead!)
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They probably want it to be easily accessible to reduce support costs. When the customer calls them they want their agent to get in and check for issues as fast as possible.
Re:Why is that even possible? (Score:4, Insightful)
The correct WTF here is "why do all employees have admin access?"
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Re:Why is that even possible? (Score:4, Insightful)
You're basically asking why do Systems Administrators have administrator access to systems they administer?
The question is why the system is designed so video stored on the Ring cloud isn't encrypted with a key only the customer has access to. Competent SysAdmins who dwell here know that this issue has nothing to do with system administration and everything to do with application design.
Law enforcement, Homeland Security, FBI, NSA ... they want unrestricted access and Amazon scores lot's of brownie points with the totalitarian faction that runs Washington by giving it to them (and for those of you itching to play the "But Obama...." card this is a jab at to him too).
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Yes, the cost of secure application design.
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Ever hear of "Zero Knowledge" cloud storage? By your logic, this cannot/should not exist, yet it does.
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Can you imagine a cryptosystem where the Ring device generates a random secure encryption key and shares it with the owner's cell phone over Bluetooth, so only the owner can access the videos that are stored on Ring's servers?
If Ring were about privacy, this would be somewhat straightforward to implement.
If they are about mass surveillance, this would be a bad move.
Re:Why is that even possible? (Score:5, Insightful)
1. Generate security key, use Bluetooth or local net or even just a display to give it to the user
2. If user approves, transmit key to third party who doesn't have access to the video.
3. When law enforcement gets a warrant, they get the key from third party
4. Law enforcement goes to Ring and gets the videos and views them.
Under that scheme, none of the Ring employees can access the video ever, none of the third-party employees can access the video ever, law enforcement desires are satisfied, user desires are satisfied. I'd be willing to consider a Ring device under those conditions. But, I bet, even if they go this route, they'll probably omit the part in boldface.
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2. Proactive loss prevention
3. a busy-body culture -- the USA/American culture for example
4. Friends & family members
5. Funny videos
6, Sexy videos
7. Cute videos -- where do you think all those kitty videos come from?
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Why is it even possible for an employee to do something like this in the first place?
Simple: Putting effective access control in place costs money, i.e. lowers profit.
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Who didn't see that coming? (Score:2)
Well those Ring employees for starters!
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I'm pretty sure they saw some people coming!
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Hahahaha (Score:2)
Employees may abuse access granted.
Almost certainly.
But its ok for china and police to do it (Score:2)
Caffeinated Bacon, also lying, always hiding (Score:2)
Isn't that how it always plays out? (Score:5, Insightful)
"Your stuff is secure. It's highly protected!"
"Well, it's actually pretty wide open, but no one ever does."
"Well, sometimes people do, but only trusted members."
"Well, anyone can access it, but it's against policy."
"Well, lots of people do, but only for quality of service."
"Well, people sometimes do it for other reasons, but definitely only for business reasons."
"Ok, people watch you jack off all the fucking time and share it on the internet."
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
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People jack off outside in front of their doorbell camera? Man, there really is a fetish for everything.
Don't be silly... (Score:5, Insightful)
"Amazon isn't listening to you through Alexa. It's perfectly safe. You're just a paranoid Luddite".
"Apple isn't listening to you through Siri. It's perfectly safe. You're just a paranoid Luddite".
"Ring isn't watching you through your cameras. It's perfectly safe. You're just a paranoid Luddite".
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I hardly ever enter my house though the front door and only folks who approach my front door are within view of the doorbell... So Ring isn't watching me...
Perhaps, yet it is listening to you every time you're at the front door greeting visitors; and if you're like the vast majority of folks who live in an expensive box, you're likely in the front yard occasionally doing yard work, putting up/taking down Christmas lights, or shooing off the neighborhood dog that prefers to fertilize your lawn above all others.
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My doorbell cam gets the end of my driveway so they could certainly figure out your schedule.
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I hardly ever enter my house though the front door and only folks who approach my front door are within view of the doorbell... So Ring isn't watching me...
Ring makes indoor/outdoor mountable cameras too, not just doorbell cameras.
we need the data for marketing needs! (Score:2)
we need the data for marketing needs!
May be if they are paid enough ... (Score:2)
I wish (Score:2)
That would be nice if that worked.
The correlation actually goes the other way - highly compensated employees violate policy more often.
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What are you talking about? Porn is free, even high-quality porn.
Amazon workers can view Ring camera feeds, got it. (Score:1)
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Re: Never record anything private. (Score:3)
Hey asshole, fuck off. Christ on a crutch, are you projecting? You are.
Thieves broke into my childhood home while I was away in the usaf. Mom was staying across the street at her sister's.
They took a machete to my organ, you asshole. A Hammond c2 I rescued from the church.
They stole my little red suitcase with the only pix I had of my dad. His watch. His lighter. He died when I was 5. Now I have nothing of his at all.
They then took a hammer to the oak and cedar paneling in the den.
Destroyed the tv. Dest
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They took a machete to my organ
Good lord!
A Hammond c2 I rescued from the church
Oh. Thank God!
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Destruction like what you describe is usually targeted: the intruders likely knew who's house it was, and wanted to cause distress to you and/or your family.
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What a load of blame-the-victim B.S.
Not everyone has insurance. Renters often go without insurance. Furthermore, everyone I've ever known who has had a break-in, an attempted break-in, or their car stolen wasn't flaunting shit.
My mom and step father lived in a low income apartment after my folks got divorced. They had a break-in and the thief got a bunch of worthless costume jewelry.
One of my childhood ex-friends (thanks, modern polarizing politics) grew up in a suburban middle class track house which lo
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Do you have a clue what Ring demographics are or are you just talking out your ass?
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