Doorbell owners warned of a bank robbery: three signs to look out for

HOME security gadgets like Ring doorbells are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals and their nasty phishing campaigns.

Cybersecurity experts at Trustwave have warned Ring customers – and owners of similar gadgets from other brands – that home security technology is being used against the people it is supposed to protect.

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“Scams are so common these days that the scope for email fraud to be both broad and granular has changed,” Ed Williams of Trustwave told The Sun.

“Add to that the flexibility and sheer power of generative AI and it becomes likely that a phishing attack or scam will be successful.”

Breaking into the gadgets themselves is difficult, so hackers have resorted to web-based attacks against home security owners.

Users should assume that every email is malicious. If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.

Ed Williams, Vice President of Pen Testing EMEA Trustwave

Phishing emails are used to extract sensitive information from customers.

Unreliable emails also warn innocent recipients of impending suspension of their Ring account, citing outdated membership information.

It’s this kind of false urgency that tricks people into giving away important information, which can put their accounts (and gadgets) at risk.

These phishing messages often contain a file attachment that contains a malicious link.

When they click, recipients are redirected to a fake Ring login page designed to illegally collect sensitive information.

This information includes your email address, password, social security number or social security number, and even your credit card information.

“Users should assume that every email is malicious. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Williams added.

“If people think they’ve been affected, it’s best to talk to Ring immediately to see if it was a scam or not.

“If so, speak to the police as they will be best placed to advise on what to do next.”

How to Avoid a Ring Scam

Trustwave has suggested three ways Ring customers can keep their accounts (and their cameras) protected.

Passwords

A random password of 20 characters with upper and lower case letters, symbols and numbers is the most secure you can get.

“Users should ensure their surveillance cameras are properly secured with a strong, unique password that is not reused across other services or accounts,” Williams says.

WiFi

“Similarly, make sure your wireless network is similarly secured,” Williams added.

Make sure you don’t make these five easy (but hugely risky) security mistakes with your Internet router.

Updates

“Finally, keep your camera patched and up to date,” Williams explains.

“If the product has the option for automatic updates, enable it.”

This means that your gadgets’ security software is up to date and there are no backdoor bugs for hackers to sneak in.

The Sun has contacted Ring for comment.