These Home Cameras are NOT Private!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- Adding a security system to your home might not be a bad idea. But what kind of security system? And are there any that are truly secure and privacy-preserving?
We dive into a bunch of popular home security cameras, and how they they compare in terms of privacy.
00:00 Intro
00:54 Terms to Know
02:27 ADT
04:23 Ring
05:28 Nest
05:59 Eufy
09:18 Reolink
10:30 Amcrest
10:56 Others
11:21 Synology
13:52 Apple HomeKit
14:45 Eufy (revisited)
15:46 Homebridge and OpenHAB
16:07 Trade-Offs
18:06 Outro
Spoiler alert, privacy doesn’t seem to be a focus of home security companies. It's also surprisingly difficult to find information about how private and secure each system is. But hopefully there are some solutions here that fit your threat model, and if not, we'll dive into a more complicated but private setup in an upcoming video!
Take a look at our previous deep-dive into Ring cameras:
• Are RING Cameras PRIVATE?
odysee.com/@NaomiBrockwell:4/...
Note:
This is what C2 replied to our questions about E2EE when we reached out to them:
Q: The site says the video is only decrypted “at the destination”. What is the destination in this context?
A: It means that the video is decrypted when it is stored in the C2 storage.
Q: Is video stored unencrypted in C2 storage?
A: Let me also clarify C2 Surveillance will store the video unencrypted and not C2 storage.
Q: does C2 have access to any unencrypted video footage, or can C2 get access to any unencrypted data?
A: C2 Surveillance will only have access to the unencrypted video recordings that you've stored and backed up.
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Here are a bunch of products I like and use. Using these links helps support the channel and future videos!
Recommended Books:
Permanent Record - Edward Snowden
amzn.to/305negc
No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State - Glenn Greenwald
amzn.to/2UQmJ4m
What has the government done to our money - Rothbard
amzn.to/2KMzmcu
Extreme Privacy - Michael Bazzel (The best privacy book I've ever read)
amzn.to/3BLZ1gq
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Naomi's Privacy Bag: some of my favorite products to help protect your privacy!
Use the Brave browser! brave.com/nao076
USB-C to ethernet adapter:
amzn.to/2lOVBoy
Faraday bag (signal stopping, to protect your fob, credit card, computer, and phone)
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Data Blocker (if you're charging your phone in an unknown port, use this so that no data is transferred)
amzn.to/2SVh0J2
Computer privacy screen (use your computer in public? Keep your information safe! Choose the size right for your computer)
amzn.to/3F816Sn
Phone privacy screen (don't let people in public see your private data, choose the size for your phone)
amzn.to/3wNtYwb
Camera cover (for computers and phones, so no one can access your camera without you knowing)
amzn.to/2Mt7Hic
Privacy Tip: Turn off your wifi and bluetooth when you're not using them!!! - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.75[2/2] คุยแบบนี้แล้วจะจบกี่โมงพ่ะย่ะค่ะ!!!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/N6E8njWH7Zg/mqdefault.jpg)
Ex-CCTV tech here - well done. Its refreshing seeing a comparison of domestic CCTV systems by someone who not only hasn't sold out to the Chinese vendors, but also covers everything fairly and takes user privacy into consideration. That said, for those who have a spare Windows PC, and don't mind a bit of DIY and a bit of a learning curve, another option is Milestone. Its a full blown commercial grade VMS (owned by Canon, who naturally knows a thing or two about cameras), and is available for free for up to 8 cameras - and the free license can even be used in a commercial environment, and will work with just about every ONVIF compliant camera under the sun. I have mine on a seperate Security VLAN that has zero access to the outside world, that being said I have VPN access to my home network that still allows me to view my cameras from anywhere in the world. I trust it more than pretty much any cloud connected service, and its probably about as secure as you can get without having it on a physically air-gapped network, and its on a UPS which will allow it to stay up for at least some time after the lights go out.
What are good home security cameras to choose instead?
David, geat advice, Milestone is a definite game-changer VMS, particularly in conjunction with lenel physical security systems - then again that would be mostly for business applications.
@@skaterdude14b if money is no object - Axis, they’re the best in the game for either domestic or commercial use. If you’re on a budget - Hanwha - previously known as Samsung Techwin until Samsung spun them off, still based in Korea and make good quality stuff for what they charge. As for domestic vs commercial - most commercial grade cameras are PoE these days and therefore can be used in a home as well so long as you have a PoE switch and Ethernet cabling to the camera location. And Milestone will run fine in a home so long as you have a Windows PC with sufficient storage for the number of cameras you have and the quality and retention period of recordings you want. I’ve been using it in my home for 2 years now and can’t fault it.
@@wesseljordaan7781 Agreed, sadly it’s relatively unknown outside of the industry, hence I try and steer people in that direction whenever I can and away from Amazon, Google, and other cloud solutions, and the likes of Hikvision and Dahua.
Outstanding, thank you.
I have been in the electronic security business for 30 years and own a security company. I am a strong proponent of a traditional CCTV system with all cameras wired to a DVR/NVR that is on premises. Anytime you connect to the internet, no matter the security protocols taken, there is an assumed risk that is taken as any data transmitted can be intercepted. To maximize security, do not connect to the internet. Have a closed, offline system. Obviously, you loose all the convenient features we all enjoy, but nobody can see you either.
If you wish to use any DIY product such as those mention in this video, take a risk assessment. Do you mind giving up some security for the convince of viewing remotely? We as security professionals can not answer that, only the end-user can.
My advise: if you want cameras inside your home, disable them while you are home. Before you leave, plug them back in. You typically do not watch inside cameras while at home. As for outdoor cameras, I am fine with leaving those on 24/7. Unless you sunbath in the buff, not a whole lot to see.
Good video, just a slight correction on some terminalligy such as what was mentioned about IP cameras. They are cameras (WiFi or hard-wired connected) that connect to a computer network. They have been around since the late 1990's. Keep up great videos such as this.
By the way, a good option (not from a security viewpoint, but price and conviemence) would be Wyze. I have used their cameras for temporary set-ups on job sites where a quick install was needed at a super low entry point. I would not say their ecosystem is super secure, but no less than any of the companies mentioned in this video. Great price, decent products.
To sum it up, security is all about risk assessment. How much risk are you willing to except and still remain secure?
Good information here. I do wonder though if there are ways to overcome some of the remote security concerns. One example I can think of is using a physical key to access stuff like this. Basically keep a usb key on you, and without that authentication then refuse remote access for the network. While I don't know the best way to set this up with mobile phones, as usb-c sticks aren't really a thing as far as I know, I do think optimizing remote security would make these kinds of systems better at least. Multiple layers of hardware would help too, like the physical key check is to even access the remote network, which is connected only if the piece of hardware performing the physical key check is consistently connected and checked intermittently. Sort of like a network switch that relies on this security in order to function properly.
From there, the data is passed through that security for remote usage, but that data is on different hardware from the one with the security check. Both pieces of hardware should still have security features, but the creating a sort of gatekeeper piece of hardware would be a good step to protect these sorts of systems from unauthorized access.
Agreed, hardwired local network camera's everyday. All too many get caught up in the glitz or glam of the ring doorbell, etc. only not realizing what vulnerabilities go along with those cheap options. I for one had a professional install my IP based camera's within my home and on the outside of the house tied back to my own NVR that only those with the app and credentials can access for viewing.
@@hackatak When I set up my system, I kept it fully local. Two categories of cameras, and two categories of storage: NVR with a UPS, and distributed flash memory (the former for visible cameras, the latter for concealed ones). Cables run only inside walls, and the NVR/UPS was under a protective hood of 1/2" plate.
Great comment. Reference my comment above. I also have COX security, with no cameras, but all windows and doors armed in my very small apartment. If it is to happen, I get a call instantly with the police here in minutes as I live so close to the local Sheriffs department. And that is about all I can do. I have a ton of camera equipment here, it's all insured so again that is all I can do.
30yrs and still you didn't know how security layers work
This saddens me. I wanna hang myself now
Its absurd how hard it apparently is to get some privacy in this sick world.
I read somewhere that Elon Musk stated there will no longer be any privacy by 2023. Absurd and scary.
With smart devices, appliances & speakers, home security systems & over-air updated cars, we’re PAYING for our own police state!
At the end of the day, it's down to what companies want and what the authorities demand.
At the end of the day, it’s up to the individual to determine how much privacy they choose to have. Nobody forces anyone to have technology in your home, or are they?
Yeah so hard. You can’t even install internet connected video cameras all over your house and still have privacy! Lmao
I don't think with your brutally honest videos you can make any sponsorship revenue. However, it is tremendously useful for your target audience. I for one feel, your videos are of humanitarian value (even if targeted at mostly well to do folks).
👏🏿 Thanks for your comments I AGREE ! And I’m not economically poor I just make it a habit not to get locked into MONTHLY CONTRACTS for ANYTHING other than my gas lights and water which IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY and I LIKE MY PRIVACY !
There are a load of ways to mitigate some of these but as a person who has very recently tried (and failed) to explain to a couple of companies that they shouldn't do something on security grounds, I understand why these camera companies give zero f's! Brilliant video btw. Keep this stuff coming, you are amazing at this. You care about people and their privacy and it comes across very well. Hugs to you and your team, lady!
Thanks so much for your kind words!
I used to work in the industry. In my part of the world (Australia) the industry has largely sold out to the two biggest Chinese vendors, and saying anything bad about them, regardless of how true it may be is like insulting the Queen. All they care about is the mighty dollar, sadly. I ended up getting out.
Can't say that I'm too surprised there's no real privacy options in this market. Thanks for the breakdown Naomi. 🤜🤛
thanks for watching harri!
Local NVR is the only real way to keep everything private. Everything in the consumer market gravitates toward the cloud though, due to users not wanting to buy and configure their own server, and manufacturers wanting to sell subscription services in addition to selling hardware. Unfortunately it's hard to make these services really secure (and they're a HUGE target) and equally hard to audit any of their claims. Most of the local solutions aren't open source either, so they're not necessarily easy to audit anyway.
NSA probably forces them into providing backdoors.
Honestly, at the end of the day, regardless of what these companies say and do, when any data goes online, no safety measure is absolute. Just don't install any internet camera in private areas like your bedrooms and bathrooms. Consider every camera-ed area a public area.
Just build your own with Arduino. You can then control it your way.
Want your private property turn into public? No thanks.
..and it maybe possible even smart monitors, that work for safety or in the guise of safety. Some can do both, work for safety and surveillance at the same time.
@@jvon3885 you might wanna look into the unpatchable vulnerabilities of the ESP32/ESP8266 wifi
Well done investigative journalism. This backs up what I have learned over the years on building a 'secure' surveillance system. With regard to a local storage solution, you mentioned the offsite 'backup' of the Synology solution. There are some more 'client controlled' ways to do that. Running a local setup (BlueIris is my choice) gets you multi camera brand support. Syncing the footage to a fully encrypted distributed cloud storage service like 'Mega' gives you a solution encrypted from the source. It does mean if you lose your 'key' that Mega cannot recover your data for you, but that's whole point isn't it.
Awesome video, being a network security guy, it's amazing what folks are allowing in their homes. The best I can do is unplug the internet when not in use ... I use a VPN, but even that can be broke. I also have no Alexa or anything like that, no cameras at all. All the laptops have the camera taped over. The only safe cell phone is one powered off and in a lead box ... basically how we did our super duper secret meetings in the military ...
a vpn dose offer better security but is not good for privacy. yes it dose hide your browsing history from your isp but now the vpn owner can see your browsing history. What i recomend is tor or i2p
Host your own VPN. @@userrrr32
I think a good compromise would be two systems, Wi-Fi for outdoor cams and a hardwired NVR (offline) or dvr for indoor cams.
You left out Ubiquiti Unifi system! That's surprising as it is one of the most enticing systems that is available.
I have had Ubiquity for a few years and they are great cameras with local storage you can link online or not. More initial expense, no monthly.
@@HRCFan I run a Unifi system now. Network and security cameras. They are great.
I was waiting for the review on unifi. Seems like big oversight that it wasn’t included
The key word in " .... Systems that is available" is AVAILABILITY. Ubiquiti does poorly in stocking itself.
@@Vamanos46 That is an issue with them yes, however, I believe keywords in this context is security and privacy not availability!
I use a couple of old trailcams, discretely hidden, with a high capacity sd card and with motion detection and night vision enabled. Any clips where the motion detection is triggered get saved to the card and don't get sent anywhere via the internet for any Tom, Dick or Harry to have a look at! Whilst I agree it's not an ideal set up, because the batteries need replacing every three months or so and there's always a chance an intruder could spot the camera and disable it, it hasn't been a problem so far.
that's probably the best idea i've heard. Thanks David!
i do the same. too simple.
What a minefield this is Naomi! Thank you for all the information you provide. I'm not at all surprised that privacy is of a low importance issue to the manufacturers.
Great Video! I run Ubiquiti's Unifi Setup at home like the UDM Pro, Switches and Cameras. All cameras are powered via POE. I remotely connect via wireguard to my home newtwork whenever I need to check what's going on at home. the recorded videos are stored on the local hdd.
Recently I added three more cams to my system. This time I tried the Aqara G2H Pro to get them work in homekit. And yes they work like a charm without the Aqara native app to change settings. BTW, none of the cams have access to my local network (different vlan) and to the interent. I blocked them easily via Firewall rules.
I'm very happy with my setup and can't wait to expand it way more
Thank you, Naomi. Independent content like yours is very important for our society. Thanks a lot for your service!
Thanks for watching!
Very interested in the follow up on something secure:)
No one can access my cameras. I don't have any in the house, not even on my Linux PC, smart phones are also banned from my home. I have wired CCTV monitoring the grounds connected to a home Linux server. They do not have internet connectivity. Much like my choice not to use Windows, Mac, Google or Amazon devices I choose not to bug my own home.
Oh, I also own a shotgun and six hunting dogs 😁
Bravo! I'm with you brother.
Lorex Home security system is very easy to use. I installed their new model doorbell, has great picture. Has SD and it connects to your network. Their 4k camera system options are great too.
I would have liked to see UniFi / ubiquity on this list to review
Been running their first Doorbell camera and several of the cheaper outdoor units on the Cloud Key Gen2 Plus. Good experience so far, just hard to get equipment at times.
Thank you, this is a great video ! I wish that I saw this about a month ago when I was looking into a system for my home. The good news is that I have not yes picked a system but mostly that you convinces me that there are plenty of privacy issues connected to almost all of these systems.
EUFY was my number one pick but the biggest reason I do not want to go with them is the fact that nothing works when they go out of business or choose to make a change in their system that either leaves you hanging or update to something new.
Looking forward to more of your videos !
As always, your vids give the best info and options. Thank you.
Wow, what a well laid out and accurate video. Thank you!
As someone else has commented; a brilliant, honest review, which as a result is not going to earn you a shed-load of sponsorship money. What we need as potential consumers are many more of this type of brilliant and professional type video.
Thanks so much for saying so! Indeed our free educational content is funded entirely by community donations
That was a T-shirt idea right there!
Google with a Vampire, and the text: “We suck Your Data” 😂
Wow, a very informative and in-depth video. I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg on this topic.
A DIY option that's far more privacy preserving would be : Raspberry Pi + Webcam + running a python script that uses OpenCV library on the Pi..there are lots of tutorials about this perhaps a hands on tutorial about this would be another great addition to your channel's tutorials
Motioneye OS on Ras pi is a quick way of doing this without having to write your own code. A bit of IFTTT integration for notifications and you're away.
I've had this setup on a farm for years and it works pretty well.
Terrific, but hardly germane to the topic of this video.
I selected eufy this year to upgrade a very old and no longer supported D-Link camera system after a lot of research into initial and ongoing costs, and what kind of access it requires. Eufy seemed to be the best for my needs.
One thing I saw mentioned that was a concern for me was the power and internet requirement. I also lately switched to 5G mobile internet and my cameras are either battery/solar for the outdoor cameras, and the indoor cameras are on medium size consumer UPS systems, along with the base station and my 5G router and firewall are all on a large enterprise UPS that should give me about 20 hours of power should the power go out. I also like that I don't have to upload to the cloud like most other systems require and as you mentioned, all video sent to my phone is encrypted.
Another thing I liked about the Eufy system was the $100 a year active monitoring that qualifies for your homeowner's insurance discount. I'll be switching to that in the coming year.
Well done!! Most informative, insightful video into home security cameras. Bravo!
Thank you Naomi. A topic I have been waiting for for a while. There are too many cheap and easy products flooding the market which dissuaded people from more private, traditional options. I suspect that's exactly the strategy to boost data scraping.
BIG BROTHER comes to mind! Thank you for reminding me why we have CCTV at our home! Never put this crap in your homes, people! 💯💯💯
Amazing work of explaining awful set of products supposed to protect the customer. I would like use local encryption and push videos to a cloud provider. This implies setting a lot stuff alone, cool project for DIY but for most home owners it is too much trouble, they would understandably go with current commercial offer, and hopefully over our feedback get improving it like Ring. I use Dream Machine Pro with switches and pro AP (yes, I know they depend being online for some management😢) and the thought of using a local disk to record their camera requeiras me automating pushing video files to the cloud. I already push logs to AWS to learn more. Having a local storage in Brazil does not help because burglars will take disk or whole device away. That’s a reason people don’t bother the trouble of privacy first, physical security get more important, I guess. Thanks for the extensive analysis on the Ring cameras!
I’ve got many Internet based cameras and a dvr, and have no problem with privacy. But then, I also have a firewall appliance which I use to prevent the cameras and DVR from contacting any servers on the internet.
The cameras are constantly trying to phone home to China, and do tend to freak out occasionally when they can make the connection. About once per day they reset their network interface in an attempt to establish a connection to the servers in China. Some of which btw, are Amazon servers in China.
Dear Naomi,
You are so very correct! To get a security system right takes a lot of studying. It became a hobby for me. I did a huge amount of privacy, reliability, software and camera research over the past three years and finally decided on ethernet IP cameras, Blue Iris software and a dedicated PC. As much as I hated running cat 6e cable, no wifi cameras are used and I found a nice workaround for that. I do not subscribe to any cloud service but can access my system from anywhere 24/7. I am extremely happy with the end result but it took quite a bit of effort. The system I finally decided on is secure, efficient and reliable! I did not use any products you discussed in this video. Just my preference. I also implemented IOT Segmentation to separate my system from my home internet. Cheers!
Is there a handbook on this particular setup? It would be great to study it so as to 'copy paste' the same.
@@shawnm2405 - Unfortunately, there isn't a handbook and I got my system running great through a lot of frustration, trial and error. I had to run down bug after bug. The biggest finds for me were good software and decent ethernet IP ONVIF cameras. Things I learned to avoid like the plague were wifi cameras and proprietary cloud subscriptions. Cheers!
@@thomask4836 i agree with you all the way, no outside access and a private PC to record, i would go for the same type of system myself.
@@edwardmylnychuk5774 - Thank You Sir! I got a run-of-the-mill i5 PC and it has served me well for the last 4 years 24/7!
I haven't decided on an indoor camera yet, but an outside camera would be okay.
After a colleague mentioned they had an indoor camera, they found out on the history in their account that it recorded even when it waz supposed to have been switched off, though it was voice but an romantic moment which shocked them. They changed settings & deleted some history so they're more careful & switch it off if at home now. Scary what gets recorded if your not careful! 🤔😳
Your videos are eye opener... Thanks.
Thank you for the hard work that went into this.
I am surprised you didn't go over Arlo.
The 3rd option with Reo-link is PoE [power over ethernet]. That is the closest thing to professional CCTV. I use it for exterior cameras with their NVR. They have color night cameras that I like very much and provide better visual recognition than IR at night. But they need to broaden their choices of models in that area with a wide angle. Some of their wifi cameras can connect to their NVR. They do have some very nice wifi with batteries as well as solar. Great if you live in the southern states. But charging a lithium 18650 NMC type battery in the cold is a quick way to dendrite city forming in the battery in a season or three. The problem with the NAS systems is the added cost for more than 2 on their system. I would bet I could get a 24 bay Honeywell system for less if you needed more than 11 cameras and you would get at least 60 fps on all of them.
I trust Apple more than any other cloud service and use the Logitech Circle doorbell. I like it but it does have heat limitations and does not respond well to direct sunlight. For me that is not an issue. It has been great and has good person/animal detection along with cars. You can use photos for personal detection notices. I did not do anything with Logitech to set it up other than the wiring and mounting via their instructions to link it to Homekit. The control software is all apple. I recommend a tablet over a phone for setting up blackout areas of detection on the camera if needed. Anything that has Thread is a bonus for a solid and fast connection. I tested it with the mini homepods and apple tv and found that whichever has the clearest signal has control link with the device [the doorbell]. Should that device lose power it goes to the next best signal. If the power goes out it all goes down.
I will be adding the Eufy ptz indoor for some testing after I finish some lighting and heat controls first.
Hey Naomi, great video. You should check and maybe even do a video on UniFi Protect system, I would say It's a great middle ground.
Yes - just googling, and it seems when you use their vpn service to view live or old recordings via their app, the stream doesn't actually go through their servers, so they never have access to any video at any point. I use scrypted (a bit like homebridge) to get the cameras in homekit as well.
Great information Naomi. Thank you!
Very enlightening presentation. I am in the market to add a video doorbell to my home security and the Amazon system Blink was on my list of systems to look into. I currently have a few Blink cameras around the exterior of my home so I have some faith in them. After watching this vid, it's pretty clear, none of the better know systems available is perfect.
Excellent video! This should be considered as a prime example of critical thinking. Most every angle on the subject approached and none given a free pass. Keep up the great work!
Love the video...as someone in the video surveillance market I'm glad that the products I sell haven't been outlined here.
You know they are all very similar products made with off the shelf components so there is really not big differences among them!
Great video and info
Have 4 Reolink cameras, one is a Reolink Video Doorbell POE. Have Reolink Client installed a Windows PC and Android mobile phone. New cameras are automatically added to the software app.
Events are pushed to my mobile phone, for example if a visitor rings the doorbell.
Every camera has an SD card and is configured to backup to an FTP server. In my case the FTP server is on the local network as well. A powershell job is triggered whenever a new file is written to the FTP server and uploads it automatically to a cloud provider. This entire setup is free of charge. It's safe, convenient and no vendor lock in.
The synology setup seems like a good way to go. For off site backup perhaps you just have to come up with your own way of handling that. Unfortunate that all these companies value your 💰 💴 over privacy, but I can’t say that I’m suprised. Thank you for the continued education on the security front Naomi. 👍
I've been using Arlo's "Ultra 2 Wireless Security" cams for 2 months now. I like that they are wireless, 4K, up to 180deg width, color night vision, spotlight, weather resistant, super easy to set up, rechargeable batteries that last for about 6 weeks, and footage goes via base station to the cloud. I'd rate the phone app 8/10. What I don't know: No idea if there is end-to-end encryption. Found no mention on their web site. You have inspired me to write them and ask.
Curious... Did you ever get an answer?
@@sc6. nope.
Best idea is to get some PoE Cameras (non-wireless obviously.), connected to a cheap pc setup like raspberry pi in your attic space so that no one could easily get access to it. Make sure there is a good quality external drive with lots of storage space on it. Then encrypt your Pi's connection (wired again for bandwidth and security reasons.) to your houses router(non wireless with a wifi access point connected to one of its port so you still can use wifi for your tvs or other devices within the house, though make sure encryption is enabled and setup still on the access point.) which then you can set up an encrypted port for external access by you. some routers have software apps you can download that allow for easy access too just have to look around and see how good the encryption/security for those is. Also make sure you have a virus/malware free phone and have a good antivirus on all systems on your network as well as your phone. I see too many people's phones at work and otherwise that are unencrypted, unsecured and have no AV on it. This is a good way to get your work places invaded by hackers who can simply hop on through your phone's connection to the businesses free wifi. In any case I would do my setup like that so that its garranteed as much as possible to be as private as possible. the other thing is I would not put any cameras inside the house. Encrypted or not...if you don't want anyone to even have a chance at all of seeing you in the buff/b-day suit then don't have cameras in the home. I also recommend building a faraday cage to put your phone in when you get home. I never use my phone at home and have a voip setup so that co-workers/friends/family can contact me through that setup. I don't have any kids, but if I did I would have a rule...no phones on or actively being used in the home. why?? more face time irl with your family meaning we have real conversations and deal with the problems rather than running away to hide inside the world of mobile phones and apps. Same thing for webcams only one I would keep active would be in a dedicated computer room so that it can only be used for that and not for taking selfies or nudies..etc. I know TLDR but I say F.U. if you lack the attention span to read a few sentences that take up not more than a paragraph.
Lorex has been in the security business for many , many years and offers POE security systems. That's power over ethernet, no internet connection required and no requirement to be close to an outlet for plugging in camera. Lorex is a first class company with excellent customer service. Yes I have a Lorex security system and no , I do not work for Lorex. Worried about someone stealing your base NVR, easy to hide or bolt down so it can not be found or stolen.
I have two neighbours living opposite the front of my house, both have RING camera door bells pointing right at me. As a fellow privacy aware person I hate this!! Really want to make them aware of invasion of my privacy but fear they just won't listen or care. 😪
Is it illegal to install toy lasers in your place,...
Unfortunately for you, any outside area is considered public where people are free to record whatever they like from their own space. If it really bugs you, and if it is not against any HOA or city ordinance, you could just build a fence or tall hedges around your front yard.
Depends on where in the world you are. I think in Germany it's forbidden. Camera systems like Eufy allow you to black out things you don't want to record or shouldnt. But it's up to the individual and as you said, most people don't care (until you show them the Casanova entering their house. ;-)
@@davidscbirdsall Right, but this is why you either run a physically separate network for your externally exposed ethernet wiring or use subnetting.
@@aroubin Most people in the US rent, so they can’t install switches and cables. Most home owners won’t spend the amount of money necessary to install a whole other setup of switches, cables, and a network controller or to get a managed switch and set it up on their existing cables. Even with that segregation, your surveillance and security devices are still on the same wire/network that you’re accessing from the outside. Yes you can use VLANs to segregate surveillance/security devices from their hubs, but most home owners are not going to go that deep into IT.
Thank-you sooooo much for your informative videos Naomi!! You are 24 Caret Gold 🥇!!
Amcrest doorbell/cameras support RTSP and work great with home assistant and the frigate integration - FOSS, no monthly fees, local and private. Can even run HASSIO on an old computer.
Thank you for the excellent video! Subscribed!
Thanks for the sub!
Well done. Lot's of good info. Would like to hear your analysis of Unifi Protect.
I like my Lorex NVR and wired IP cams. Not sure if there are any privacy concerns there.
Great work 👍
A must see video. Thank you.
Please consider reviewing the ubiquity protect system.
ONVIF cameras, (Hikvision Colorvu etc) connected to secured pc running Blue Iris software, configurable, records to drive and ios app and also backups to secured external SSD, no cloud. Nothing is perfect but this is good. Well done covering the power issue, there are quite a few battery operated cameras around but people often get caught up on what resolution are the cameras or where’s the best spot to put them and forget the UPS in case the power to your house get cut 👍
Better check the NDAA to see if they are subject to chinese monitoring... the NDAA compliant cameras are not available to the public - that should tell you something...
@@BeyondPC and if you truly know, you would know that this is not an issue if you put those “bad” cameras on their own LAN/VLAN and only allow the NVR to accept connections from your main LAN.
@@pepeshopping While that does work I'd still be wary of any tech designed by default to circumvent privacy and personal security. I would assume that most people don't employ a network administrator to do port scans or packet sniffing and to maintain their firewalls. Heck I can tell you from massive experience many home users would never even imagine that their cameras needed that level of hackery just to get a private system set up.
HIKVISON has a SOC(system on a chip) in the cameras. .. big no no
like I said, not perfect but Blue Iris is my point here, its own server, standalone app, highly configurable, all traffic can be monitored, no NVR, no off site storage and use any ONVIF cameras you want. If you’re worried about someone overseas watching/recording the front of your house or wherever your cameras are placed then don’t have a system connected to the internet, as Blue Iris is capable of
Amazing breakdown
You’re awesome; thanks so much for this 🙏
I saw a work-around on Reddit for the Eufy indoor cameras using a local homekit box blocked at the router level, would this solution be viable and more secure for their doorbells?
- Added the doorbell via Eufy app, configured Homekit
- Assign static IP within router
- Blocked internet access in firewall for specific IPs
- Homekit keeps working
After watching your video, I was looking for privacy work-arounds in my current setup. Thank you!
As usual, excellent job you’re doing. I have to donate asap👍🏿👌🏿
🙏🙏
*First time seeing this site.* *I love everything about you. You got yourself a new sub.*
Welcome!
A really great, fact filled comparison. Thank you!
Thank you for giving your insights. I wonder what you think of Ubiquiti's PVR solution. Looking forward to your opinion.
I had high hopes that unify ubiquity would have been covered also.
📸 This is a very good example of why all my cameras are outside of my house, not inside. Thank you for the info. 🎥
I'm an IT pro with 40 years in the field and among many of my IT skills is network security. I use IP cameras and a camera server program named "Blue Iris".
I don't use any "DIY" amalgamated camera system packages and this allows me to have full control over what my camera system does. It allows me to buy pretty much any IP camera that is RTSP and/or ONVIF compatible which means I can buy any cheap IP camera I want and it will work on my system, though admittedly this does sometimes require some minor fiddling with a minority of cameras to get Blue Iris to access the camera's video stream.
I never use a wireless camera anywhere I can get an ethernet cable to. Even then, I'll pull cable if the camera's viewing area is critical and only use WiFi for a view that is desirable to an area already covered by a wired camera that might be more distant or has fewer features. All my cameras are set up to cover each other redundantly so a bad actor can't disable one without one or more other cameras seeing him do it.
The individual cameras are not able to connect to the internet because among other tricks I use I go into setup on each camera as I'm configuring it during the deployment process and set the DNS server to a nonsense number that cannot access any external DNS (usually on a subnet dedicated to local service and I don't use that subnet range on the rest of my networking). Anything that cannot access DNS (Domain Name System) services cannot make an endpoint to endpoint connection over the internet. I also set a hard DHCP IP address for each camera's MAC address on my commercial Ubiquiti EdgeRouter and block those addresses (both IP and MAC) from internet access. Thus even if the camera contains some hidden configuration allowing it to 'phone home' that won't work and being as almost all of these cameras are made in China I don't trust them to have internet access either knowingly or unknowingly. If you're using a non-commercial grade router there are probably settings in that to accomplish the same thing or something similar.
Blue Iris is then the only part of the camera system that can get to the internet and it is protected by the security, settings and antimalware on the PC server. Blue Iris can be accessed remotely via an app or through a web browser. I don't use the app, I only access it via a web browser. Because of this my camera access is as secure and encrypted end to end as the browser configuration. Using HTTPS I'm reasonably confident that no one can intercept and see my camera system. The camera system is at least as secure as any other online activity providing the browser being used is configured and secured properly.
There's more to this but you get the idea by now. This isn't hard for an IT pro to set up and is reasonably secure.
This is the system that I use, it's the system I recommend, install, configure and maintain for my commercial clients. Some of them already had a packaged camera system when I came onboard to work for them so I just block that from internet access and use Blue Iris on their server to pick the RTSP video streams from those cameras through the NVR box they already owned. Then I set them up to use browser access instead of whatever terrible, unreliable app the original camera system provided.
A note of caution ... IT professionals and electronic security professionals are not the same thing, not even close. We swim in two different oceans. An electronic security professional may not know an IP based networking system well enough to confidently secure it. Be aware that the *_ONLY_* way you're going to get any sort of remote access to your own cameras is through one sort of internet connection or another unless you use a direct dial-in system. All of which are now antiquated, expensive and rare. I've worked with a lot of electronic security people over the decades and they know their job very well as a rule. They don't know *_my_* job worth spit. So keep this in mind if a camera system that must have remote access is something you think you need or want.
Generally an electronic security guy will tell you to do things like "unplug" cameras or some such as a brute force physical workaround, or to not let your camera system access the internet. That's because he doesn't know enough about networking to secure your camera system for remote access. I don't tell electronic security people how to set up alarm systems and I don't listen to them when they try tell me how to set up a modern, affordable, comprehensive camera system. A secure camera system can be done and done without a lot of fuss and at reasonable expense. Aside from the dedicated server machine the other components are fairly cheap and reliable so the cost has come way down over the last couple decades. An electronic security firm is not who you need to hire if that's what you want.
This is a networking issue not an alarm issue so an alarm company is not who you need to do this right. If you don't care about endpoint security that's OK, you have to make that call yourself and I'm just trying to educate people about this stuff. In that case an electronic security alarm company is fine.
Security is so complicated we generally only have their word as to how secure it actually is.
and this is why I only use internal cameras when out of town.When I return they all get unplugged.
Exactly my solution, only wired cameras and the recorder/storage unplugged from internet when home..
Unless you have a closed system (ie. doesn't go online) you sort of are accepting these risks that someone (perhaps from the company of the cameras you use) is watching. This is why I'm careful about where and when I use the cameras. They are primarily used when I'm on vacation, although certain ones are plugged in all the time (like the ones facing outside and the garage). But I do have ones that also watch bedrooms since there are windows that someone could enter through, but I do unplug these when I'm home (ie. not on vacation). I also have ones that watch the inside of the front door as well, and the living room. I think as long as you keep them out of private areas (like bedrooms) or only activate them when you are not there (unplug them otherwise so they cannot connect or be powered on) then it's an assumed risk. But this is also a choice. You can get a closed system but these tend to be rather expensive (thousands of dollars in some cases) and one downside is you cannot monitor them while away from the home in some cases. Now if you had one tied into your home security system that would trigger an alarm that might notify you through email or text when an intrusion is detected but doesn't actually transmit any video footage might be the happy middle ground to security that you can "monitir" through alerts but not actuall be connected to the Internet, because only your security system (ie. door and window sensors) would be connected to the provider or the local emergency services center. But again, it's an assumed risk you take when you use over-the-Internet home security cameras. Really the only two options are you use them, or you don't, or you find another solution that's perhaps not as robust (like the closed-circuit system I mentioned, or the one that's tied into your existing home security system from places like ADT). But again, the key is to also just not put them in places where you want actual privacy, like bedrooms, and if you do put them there, unplug them when you are home.
Not exactly cheap, but Ubiquiti might be worth looking into. They sell prosumer level equipment for internet routing and also have an NVR type system that you host. I am familiar with their internet equipment but have not used their security cameras, so I don't know enough to say it's completely private, but I am more than satisfied with the level of control and privacy I do have with their routing equipment.
I'm fully in the Ubiquiti ecosystem. I really like it. I especially like that I store my video locally.
You should have included the Ubiquiti Unifi systems. The Unifi Dream Machines can act as an NVR (or you can get a dedicated NVR), all footage is stored locally, and may be accesses remotely if desired. A way better option than allowing any of these companies to access your footage at their whim and give it to 3rd parties without your knowledge.
First time to watch Naomi Brockwell. The information Naomi provides is insightful, to the point and clearly presented with the context of it provided as well. The content is outstanding and the broad review of advantages and disadvantages of various hardware and software manufacturers saving a lot of time and research all on this channel all presented with clear diction and reasonable pace along with a smile not punishing the viewer to invest valuable time to listen. In days when people are very busy and need to make choices better good and better this channel is worth subscribing to as a better choice 👩🎓 .
I've been considering trying out the new Lorex Fusion network for my home. I figured that Lorex and Swann are the privacy based ones since they don't charge fees and their apps generally just give you access to your own NVR.
These brands are re-flashed Dahua systems. Dahua is not NDAA compliant. Very possibly using Chinese servers for their P2P system for remote viewing.
I'm using Dahua kit, but I also have no cameras inside the house. I know the kit is not totally secure, but it is secure enough for my use.
You can further guarantee your privacy with these systems (Dahua/Hikvision) with the use on a VPN. Disable internet access for the NVR and cameras other than maybe NTP + DNS. What this means is you will have to enable the VPN on your device if you want to view them remotely, but this eliminates any uncertainty about using P2P man in the middle issues as well as the need to open ports on your firewall.
@@tccoggs That's what I ended up doing, router has OpenVPN built in, so set that up and blocked the cameras/NVR for WAN use.
Well done. A women with dignity!
Great video. I'm happy with Reolink cameras connected to my Synology NAS.
Thank you for doing this video.
If it’s not open source, encrypted and optional upload, I don’t trust
Thank you so very much for this informative video!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic video on showing people what is end to end encrypted and NOT. I guess we all need to be more mindful of privacy when covering smarthome tech.
Incredible breakdown.
Here's my set up - I use a VMS that's free for up to 8 cameras and is well supported. The cameras are in a network that has no internet access (set up on router level). I use mobile app (from the same VMS vendor) to see the live and recording streams, because it's the VMS now that sends these streams to me, not the cameras themselves. You also have a Windows app that can work on another machine, on another network for example. You of course need port forwarding, but you're in control of the entire set up and that's what matters. For the curious ones the VMS is XProtect Essential+. Runs only on Windows though. But you have fine tune over motion detection, areas of interest, alarms and rules (when there's motion in specific areas, send me an email or trigger some sort of an action, for example).
This is a service for us! Thank you.
It's funny you released this after I completed setup; good timing. Just got around to watching it. About a month ago, I bought a Eufy Indoor Cam 2K and RTSP it to my Synology Surveillance Station. I use Wireguard VPN to dial into home LAN. I don't use any cloud services (I know, I know... no offsite; geez). The only issue I still have, which I haven't solved yet is regarding the Eufy app. For some reason, I am still able to access my home camera via the Eufy app when I am not connected to my LAN. Despite the Eufy cloud services being disabled, I am guessing the Eufy camera somehow includes a secret DDNS-type of link that was established when setting up the mobile app. I know some other devices (e.g. GL iNet pocket routers) also have a similar feature. I've tried blocking outbound connections in my router from the camera's LAN IP, but no luck. The app can still access when not on the LAN. Any fresh thoughts welcome.
Thank you, this was an excellent video.
Excellent video Mrs Brockwell, very reliable information you are providing. Many people are unaware of this information. Me personally, I have remotely controlled camaras only on the outside of the house; because we all still need camaras for security purposes.
I run a local Blue Iris setup with many cameras. The footage is stored locally but alert images are stored in a location that syncs to an external drive stored in a secure onsite spot as well as syncing with my cloud backup provider (in case a thief takes the equipment, I'll have images in the cloud at a minimum). The same could be done with certain video feeds but to keep it real time you'd really be compressing the video down to make sure it can upload reasonably fast. With one or two cameras it's not an issue, but when you're talking about dozens of cameras, you have to be more selective.
The nice thing about Blue Iris is really that flexibility to allow for as much onsite storage as you want or need, and it has all the tools built in to send triggered events somewhere else, or you can roll your own type of solution for that, etc. The downside is that doing something like that means it's more complex and not something the average homeowner is going to attempt. But I guess if it were important enough, there are security consultants out there who specialize in this for a fee. But I'd guess most people don't know or care about Google/Amazon/etc. having access to their stuff and will just go for a cheap off-the-shelf solution, unfortunately. As other commenters have said, it's too bad there isn't a cheap & easy solution that is also secure. Seems like ripe pickings for the right entrepreneur with deep pockets to kick it off. Hey Elon!
If your worried about people running off with your DVR/NVR put a security cage around it screwed to the wall. If they have a gun they might shoot it up but not likely because they wouldn't want to alert the neighbors. You could also place the unit in hard to reach locations or in between wall studding behind a painting or something. If you seal it up somewhere make sure you have air flow actively piped in to keep it from over heating. There should also housings you can buy for electronics that can be locked, not sure what they are called or where to find them though.
I'd also recommend that if you have POE camera system to put a UPS on the base unit so the cameras still run for a while if the power is off. If you access it with VPN you can also have a UPS on your router/cable modem to access remotely during a power outage. It's not likely to happen or be useful in most cases but it is something to think about depending on your situation. If you also have a smart home system connected to the UPS you can set something up to message you when the power is cut. (Useful in seasonal homes to prevent pipes from busting.)
It appears as long as you only have outdoor surveillance, your personal privacy is protected. If you trvel, you can setup indoor cameras to monitor home while away. Or simply turnoff indoor cameras when home. Just a thought. I was surprised Wyze camera's not reviewed. Easy setup, great resolution and features but operates on 2.4 band only.
...and on the open source alternatives to HomeKit, also, is Home Assistant - extremely popular, huge community, local, lots of home automation, monitoring and security applications (including cameras) although very much diy. They do offer remote access through a companion app for a mo/fee, but not necessary for local operation.
Great video! Lots of info! But I noticed UI's Unify Protect and Vivint were missing, could you review those?
Hey, great video. Shocking how un-private these systems actually are. My question, can you weigh in on privacy and pros and cons of the systems offered by Wyze? Seems to be growing in popularity and little is reviewed on them. Cheers
You are an invaluable woman, I'm so glad that you exist.
A few years back, I ordered a Drop Cam, I set it up without having any problems. However, I went to move it so to watch our puppies but had a problem when plugging it in to power. I had to start all over again and it was not finding the network. I called the company's support, and as they started helping it turned on but wasn't my house. I described what I was viewing to support, and was told its working and Im seeing in my home. I told them, I know what my home looks like and this was not it. The radio was playing, it was an open floor plan, there was a glass top kitchen table with yellow flowers on it. At that point I was hung upon. I continued watching, listening to the radio for station id. Once I heard that, I unplugged the Drop Cam and called the station in Austin, Tx and told them the story. They put it on the air and not long after a listener called the station thanking them. I no longer buy Drop or Nest cam, I heard Drop cam is now Nest cam .
Great video, in a nutshell. No matter what kind of security you use, the truth is once your system goes online say bye bye to privacy and if you hear the words cloud or AI detection this means something that is operated and maintained by someone is analyzing and storing your data which is already venerable to hackers and basically anyone that knows your IP address while traveling between you and the cloud service.
Great video! More info on various brands and setups in future would also be beneficial. This is a very complex and confusing topic and the available info on each brand/system is often (purposely?) vague. I recently installed a Lorex NVR system with IP cams and would love to know how they're doing in terms of privacy (I know there have been issues in the past). I only plug mine into the router when I'm going out of town for more than a couple days but it is always recording on the NVR 6TB hard drive. The NVR is well hidden in my house so burglars won't steal it. I always wonder, though, if all those recordings are hackable/insecure when the unit is plugged into the router. I chose Lorex because it will record in high res without any Internet access.
Great video.
I run Ispy from ispyconnect on a local computer and collect video / audio from my outdoor and indoor Amcrest cameras. The data on the computer is encrypted and sync'd to an offsite computer. Both the local computer and the offsite data is accessible via VPN. So if someone steals the local computer, the video is available. I also dual feed camera video to a raspberry pi buffer and transmit that offsite. That way if the local computer is stolen, the feed continues to the offsite assuming power is not lost to the cameras. Links to the offsite are encrypted and the network infrastructure and computer power is suppled by UPSs.
However, this setup requires serious user setup and knowledge.
Aweomse video. Great content you make! such a shame there's almost no good solution. But I enjoy your input and the comments and ideas around using a commerical product in public space. Interesting.....
I have EUFY system installed as seemed like the best of a bad bunch. I use a Juniper SRX FW to track the Hub's activity and last time I counted, it needs to speak to over 30 different individual IP addresses (most hosted in AWS Frankfurt). If any IPs are blocked, it causes footage to stop recording on the hub itself! The hub is inaccessible via direct access over the LAN unless you use an app on mobile or tablet (ie; there is no web portal to access it locally). Its only used to monitor a front door, but would happily invest in something better/more secure.