The Amazon-owned smart home company Ring is now requiring two-factor authentication (2FA) for all log-ins to its apps and services.
The company, which makes popular video doorbells and security cameras is making 2FA mandatory for account access, from today.
That means device owners will need to verify their identities in a secondary manner when entering their username and password. They can choose to receive a one-time passcode via email or text message.
This will add an extra layer of security that could prevent third-parties accessing the account – and hence the personal video feeds – if login details are compromised.
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Ring had offered the option to users for quite some time now, but owners of its hardware will have no choice from now on. It’s a move Google made earlier this month, so it’s good to see Ring catch up so quickly, especially given the recent security worries experienced by the company.
Elsewhere, the company has also announced it is putting the breaks on the use of third-party analytics. The company is temporarily raising the use of “third-party analytics services in the Ring apps and website while we work on providing users with more abilities to opt out in Control Center.”
The company says it doesn’t sell personal information to third parties, but it does work with them to offer personalised discounts and offers. However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation recently accused the firm of packing its app with third-party trackers, which send “out a plethora of customers’ personally identifiable information.”
Ring users will also be able to opt-out of personalised advertising, which means your personal data won’t be used to target you with commercials. You will see non-personalised ads though. The option to opt out will again appear in the control centre.
As well as worries over third-party trackers, the company is currently facing criticism for its relationships with law-enforcement agencies around the United States.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.