How to Secure Your Ring Doorbell from Being Hacked

What is Ring Doorbell?

The Ring doorbell is a smart doorbell that notifies homeowners when they have a visitor or an intruder. That said, it doesn’t just notify with the ring of a bell. Unlike a traditional doorbell, is important to know how to secure your ring doorbell from being hacked or stolen, Ring provides home security through a video peephole, letting you see who’s at the door whether you’re inside the house or 100 miles away. How? When someone presses your doorbell, and the signal travels through your WiFi network, up into Ring’s cloud servers, and then back down to your smartphone.

Once you open up the phone notification and get inside the Ring app, you can see who’s at the door, and even talk to the person in a two-way conversation. The system is designed to let you always answer the door. The Ring also has a camera with a wide field of view, and captures in 720p, though the video quality is not so good.

Ring doorbell is a well-respected IoT brand, however, the vulnerability we discovered in the Ring video doorbell reveals even highly secure devices are vulnerable to attack.

Are Ring Doorbells Safe?

Indeed, Ring is a vivid reminder that inconsistent home Wi-Fi and capricious smartphone performance are the weak links in today’s smart-home tech. Below are some of the weaknesses of Ring doorbells;

1. It can be stolen, that’s if it’s what the thief is after.
2. Hackers also have their eyes on your Wi-Fi password and they can easily get into your wifi network.
3. The Ring doorbell requires a reasonably high-speed internet connection to perform correctly, you will not be satisfied if your internet network is slow.

we will share with you tips on how to secure your ring doorbell, Just read on!

What is Ring Alarm?

The Ring Alarm is a relatively new product released by Ring, it is a whole security system that can be set apart from the others with its unique setup system. You don’t need a professional to come in and install the home security system, Ring sends you what you need and you set it up how you want with the features you want

The whole security system is wireless, meaning it is hooked up through WiFi and can be controlled and viewed from your smartphone via Bluetooth and the Ring app.

Can Ring Video Alarm Be Hacked?

Good Question! But Sadly Yes, It is possible for Ring video Alarm to be hacked, security systems can be hacked into just like computers, but it is not common. A burglar can hack into your security system, deactivate the alarm, enter your house and get away with the goods without leaving a trace. Ring Alarm is connected to the user’s WiFi, and can also be paired to smart devices through Bluetooth. This makes it possible for hackers to manipulate the alarm device through other connections. This is unlikely.

If you are interested in learning more about Ring Alarms, how people can hack into your Ring Alarm, information on Ring’s past with hacking, and more keep reading.

How to Prevent Hacks Into Your Ring Alarm

There are several precautions to take to prevent your Ring Alarm from being hacked. It is pretty much impossible to predict when or if your Ring Alarm will be hacked, and it’s something nobody plans on.

• When you arm your Ring Alarm, make sure it is actually armed. You can do this by checking to make sure everything is working properly. Try opening a door and make sure you get a notification. You can also run weekly or monthly checks in which you arm your alarm and go into the house and make sure everything goes off. If you notice something isn’t working contact your alarm company immediately.
• Make sure all your components, especially the contact sensors are securely in place. These are the easiest to tamper with or steal, so when you install them, make sure they are firmly in place and going to be difficult to remove. It would also be a good idea to check to make sure they are still there at least once a week.
• Change your passcode at least twice a year. This is generally a good idea for anything. The longer you have a password or passcode, the easier it is for criminals to be able to hack into it, whether it be from the worn numbers on the keypad, or word just getting around.
• Always be safe and smart with how you run your Ring Alarm, and be aware of anything that could happen.

What To Do if You Think Your Ring Alarm is Being Hacked?

Take the following measures if your Ring alarm stops working;

• First, check to make sure everything is working properly. You could just have a dead battery in one of your products, or something could’ve been set up incorrectly causing it to not work right. If that isn’t the case, contact Ring and talk to them about the problem. They can send somebody to check out the problem
• You can also contact the authorities if you think someone is hacking your system, and have them check out what is going on. They will be able to help debunk the problem and find out who is messing with your security system.

What is a Wireless Home Security System?

A wireless home security system is a method of home monitoring that doesn’t require wired installation. It consists of a fully wireless system that employs sensors throughout your home that communicate wirelessly. The main hub of its control exists within a central control panel that transmits with the outside world.

Can Wireless Alarm Systems Be Hacked?

The simple answer is yes. The reason behind it is that even maximum security systems have exploitable vulnerabilities hackers can use to hack in. With this, the measure of its effectiveness lies with how difficult it is for hackers to breakthrough.

A lot of low-end alarms can get compromised fast because they’re outdated and don’t have authentication and encryption capabilities. Hackers can use this weakness to suppress it or make it go off. With this system, the hacker only needs to be within 10 feet of your home to disable your alarm system.

Another thing you need to watch out for when it comes to your alarm system is encryption. When your system doesn’t have a decent level of encryption, the hackers can intercept your data. Once they get access, they can trigger false alarms or create a copy of your data for their personal use.

Also Read: 7 Places to Install Security Camera at Home

How to Secure Your Ring Doorbell from Being Hacked

To protect your wireless security system, you must first know it’s weaknesses so that you will know what to look out for. Fortunately, there are a few simple tricks that can prevent burglars from hacking your security system. They are;

1. Secure passwords

A weak password is like giving a burglar the keys to your home. When you install a security system, the first thing you should do is change the default password. You should choose your password wisely which isn’t easy to guess. Make sure your password is a combination of symbols, letters and numbers and regularly change your password.

2. Secure your router

All wireless devices, including a security system, are dependent on the home’s Wi-Fi network. It’s essential to configure your wireless router for maximum security. First and foremost, change the default settings for the IP address and password. Never use default settings, or a hacker could easily oust you from your own network. If you use a WiFi network for your home security system, always keep it protected with a password.

3. Install a system with encrypted signals

In a wireless network, “encryption” is the process of coding signals so that only authorized devices can read them. When purchasing a wireless home security system, make sure you select a system which has encrypted signals.  Make sure encryption is enabled on your Wi-Fi router, and on all the devices on the network. A system with unsecured encryptions can be accessed by external sources easily. You can also opt for additional tamper resistance features. best systems have jamming-device detection, tamper resistance, and regular software updates.

4. Install antivirus software

You can install antivirus software on computers that access your security system. Firewalls and antivirus programs can help detect any threat of viruses and malware.

5. Limit non-approved devices

You can limit the number of devices that can be used to access your home security system. Your laptops, smartphones and desktop computers should be the only devices that can log into the security system.

6. Don’t use public WiFi

Ensure you use a secure network when accessing your home security system from a remote location. Using a public WiFi network can increase hacking risk.  Hackers can use public WiFi networks to access personal information such as email IDs and passwords.

7. Keep a check on your camera logs

If you have a surveillance system at home, protect it from being hacked by regularly checking the IP history of the system. This will help you know if a stranger has tried to access your surveillance system from an unidentified or unknown IP address. Also, avoid purchasing used camera systems as they may carry an implantable device that can be used by burglars to hack into the system.

8. Purchase an anti-jammer

Anti-jammers are designed to detect the risk of signal-jamming and failure. You can install this program in your smartphone or any other device that has access to your home security system. The anti-jammer alerts you in the event of a signal failure that may be caused by a jamming device.

9. Update your System Regularly

To be on the safe side, it is important you update your home automation software regularly. Most home security companies update their programs to enhance performance, add new features, and counter any new threats to security systems. If you do not update regularly, your system may become more prone to hacking.

10. Take old-fashioned precautions, too

All tried-and-true home security advice still applies in the digital age. Be vigilant about closing and locking windows and doors, and be mindful of who has access to your home. Don’t advertise when you leave town, and keep valuables hidden and secure.

Also Read: 11 Ways to Secure Glass Sliding Doors and Windows

Best Ring Doorbell to Buy

1. August Doorbell Cam Pro

The August Doorbell Cam Pro delivers sharp, colorful HD video and offers motion detection with Hindsight recording so you won’t miss a thing. But it requires a subscription to view recorded video and it doesn’t have IFTTT integration.

2. RemoBell S

The RemoBell S is an affordable video doorbell that’s loaded with features including motion detection, free cloud storage, support for Alexa and Google voice commands, and IFTTT. It’s also to install.

3. Ring Video Doorbell Pro

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is a sleek smart doorbell that lets you see who is at your door in real-time, who came calling while you were away, and uses pre-buffering so you won’t miss a thing…

4. Nest Hello

The Nest Hello video doorbell not only lets you know when somebody is at your door, it uses face recognition to tell you exactly who it is. It also has good motion and sound detection. Setup requires working with electrical wiring.

5. Ring Video Doorbell 2

The feature-rich battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell 2 is ideal if you want a smart doorbell but don’t want to mess with wiring.

6. Zmodo Greet Pro With Beam

The Zmodo Greet Pro With Beam is a smart video doorbell with a Wi-Fi extender that lets you see and speak with visitors without opening your door. It has free and paid cloud storage.

7. Ring Video Doorbell

The Ring Video Doorbell lets you use your smartphone to see who is at your door before you open it. It offers motion detection, push notifications, and video recording, but it’s pricey.

8. SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro

The SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro is a sleek, functional smart doorbell that can be incorporated into a SimpliSafe home security system or used on its own.

9. Wisenet SmartCam D1 Video Doorbell

The Wisenet SmartCam D1 is a smart video doorbell that offers face recognition, sound detection, and sharp image detail.