U.S customer sues Amazon Ring for being vulnerable to cyber attacks

An Alabama house owner has put everyone owning Amazon Ring security cameras on high alert as he sued the company for producing a defective product that is highly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

The suit was filed on Thursday and read that an unidentified hacker had obtained access to the security camera on the filer’s property and asked his children, who were playing basketball outside to come closer to the device. John Baker Orange is the property owner and he stated that his three children are only 7, 9, and 10, making the incident highly alarming and disturbing for him.

Houseowner Says Amazon Ring Cameras Are Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks

Amazon Ring promises “security here, there, and everywhere” but Orange claims that the camera is completely flawed. He says that the cameras are connected to the Internet making them prone to cyberattacks from hackers. He claims that this makes them unsafe in so many ways and the recent occurrence has caused him immense trouble. Reportedly, the camera costs $249 and Mr. Orange said he purchased his in July.

The suit is asking for an uncertain amount of damages, both from Amazon Ring and Amazon, and also requires that the company put in considerable security measures to upgrade the security systems on existing and new cameras that the company may produce in the future.

Ring Has Faced Multiple Other Lawsuits In The Past

This was not the only occurrence of hacker activity with Ring cameras as there were other incidents where hackers used Ring cameras to communicate with children. In one such incident, a hacker made racial remarks at a young girl through the camera and told her he was “Santa Claus.”

To some, this may seem like harmless fun but if used inappropriately, hackers communicating with young children through security cameras or having access to footage is highly dangerous and a major breach of privacy.

The main seller of Ring is a doorbell that is inclusive of a security camera. The device enables home occupants to monitor their property and also interact with visitors even if they are not at home – a very convenient system. Mr. Orange says that he took considerable measures after the occurrence such as using two-factor authentication and increasing the strength of his password.

Mr. Orange’s lawyer, John Yanchunis, said that tech gadgets and devices that are powered through the Internet are always prone to cyber-attacks and not enough companies realize how real or dangerous this risk is.

Amazon acquired Ring last year for a total sum of $839 million.