Trendnet ruling heralds crackdown on insecure home webcams

Trendnet ruling heralds crackdown on insecure home webcams: A company whose home cameras were hacked, causing privacy intrusions for hundreds of people, has been admonished by the US Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC scolded manufacturer Trendnet for the weaknesses that meant supposedly private video feeds were in fact viewable by anyone online. The company is now barred from referring to their cameras as “secure” in marketing material.

The move is the first such crackdown by the FTC on connected home devices. Commonly referred to as the Internet of Things, the idea that many things in the home – not just typical computers – will be connected to the internet is tipped to be a major industry in the near future. But the FTC said it was intent on making sure that subsequent risks were properly addressed.

“The Internet of Things holds great promise for innovative consumer products and services,” said FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “But consumer privacy and security must remain a priority as companies develop more devices that connect to the internet.”