Are you inviting hackers into your home?

November 05 2019

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Not on our watch

On October 1st the world saw an article drop on Which? about the cheap home security cameras making it easy for hackers to walk right into your world. And that wasn’t the last we heard of it.

Publications across the UK picked up the article, with one likening the scandal to giving your house keys to a stranger in the street. Scary stuff, right?

More than 50,000 internet-connected cameras and home CCTV systems, sold mostly on Amazon, are said to be affected. With critical security flaws putting UK consumers’ privacy at risk.

But not to worry, whether you’ve bought one of these home security cameras, or you’re in the market for one and want to be sure it’s safe, we’re here to help.

Here are our top tips on how to find the best home security camera for you and your family – not for hackers:

Read the reviews, then dig further

If you’re buying from Amazon, or any other site that sells on behalf of brands, the reviews section is where you’ll find out the most about the products. But, even if you see a three, four, or five-star average, be sure to dig a bit further.

Surprisingly, the home security cameras named and shamed by Which? still have some great reviews. But as soon as you hit the ‘one star’ button you’ll see customers complaining about hearing strange voices, poor security measures and footage hacking.

Look out for ‘encryption’

When it comes to keeping your footage and data safe, encryption is key. Be sure to trawl websites and product descriptions to find this all-important word.

A good example is ADT’s site. We make it clear that all our cameras have end-to-end, bank-level encryption which makes sure your cameras are completely private and only you can view your footage.

Do your brand research

Even after you’ve read the reviews and made sure the security is up to scratch, there’s still more you can do.

Take time to Google the brand itself, read their website, search them in the ‘news’ section and pull up their Trustpilot score. Anything to check they’re 100% legitimate and will be able to support you if anything goes wrong with their product.

But, what do you do if you’ve bought one?

Don’t panic. First, change any passwords relating to the item – you may want to use a mix of numbers, symbols uppercase and lowercase letters, even if it’s not required.

Next, look into whether you can get a refund from the company. Gather up any paperwork, emails and receipts then get in contact with them.

If you can’t get in touch with the company, or they refuse to help, it’s time to take it to the next level. You can read the Which? guide to faulty products online, which will advise you of the next best course of action.

Remember, we’re here to help

If you’re looking for a home security system you can trust, we’ve been working on ours for the past 145 years. All our home security cameras have bank-level encryption and are monitored 24/7 - so we pick up any faults or problems quickly.

You can arrange a free consultation with one of our experts via our web form or call us on 0808 2714 435.