Besides no arbitrary limits correlating camera count to storage space, freedom of camera hardware, much cheaper hardware choices, choice of offsite location(s)/vendors, better support for camera features, etc?
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Major Privacy Breach as Eufy Security Camera Owners Report Seeing Other Users' Video Feeds
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I'm talking with respect to the security versus convenience argument, but it seems we're talking past one another here.
You’re one of those “I don’t have anything to hide, so I don’t care about the government weakening encryption” people, aren’t you?
You 100% can turn the feed off to the Eufy app, that’s that’s how I have mine setup.
My video, alerts, and recordings are solely within HomeKit Secure Video.
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That chart is either out of date or just plain wrong in several instances.
For example, I have activity zones set up in the Home app, along with home/away and if I wanted, could do automations.
In my opinion, using the cloud in and of itself isn't the problem. Having the proper security while using the cloud is the focus.
If a person wants to use the cloud, all he or she really needs to do is use Cryptomator and make sure that the video is set to go into the Cryptomator folder. That will secure the video from any anyone who doesn't have the Cryptomater credentials.
ok, so to focus just on that: with a system you control the remote storage can be practically anything.
it could be storage space from an online storage/backup service. It could be an old computer in a closet at your parents house or in your neighbour’s basement or whatever you want.
You’re also able to physically separate the camera devices from the outside world - like literally put them on a separate wired network, and have the local recording software be the only bridge; it connects to the cameras on the private network, and uploads data to wherever you choose (if anywhere).
you can’t do that anywhere nearly as simply with anything HomeKit based because they have to be on a network with an iPad or an appletv (or HomePod?) - all of which are limited to joining one network at a time.
And we’ve already heard how HKV shortcomings mean people don’t end up using it - so it isn’t always a comparison against hkv - it’s just as likely a comparison against $randomCloudService
Couple questions to anyone who can answer them
1.Im considering getting a 2 cam eufy Pro2 and only using it through HSV, what could I expect for data use on a monthly basis? I have a 1.2TB data cap from Cox and we have about 100-200 free at the end of each month, is that enough? I know events will be user specific but just trying to see what other people are using
2.Whats the battery life like use HSV? The quoted life is "365" days without HSV, which I think is probably optimistic already
3.Has anyone used the optional solar panel and if so is it worth it?
1.Im considering getting a 2 cam eufy Pro2 and only using it through HSV, what could I expect for data use on a monthly basis? I have a 1.2TB data cap from Cox and we have about 100-200 free at the end of each month, is that enough? I know events will be user specific but just trying to see what other people are using
2.Whats the battery life like use HSV? The quoted life is "365" days without HSV, which I think is probably optimistic already
3.Has anyone used the optional solar panel and if so is it worth it?
To be fair. I would never set up security cameras for monitoring inside my actual living space…. But I do use one of these Eufy cams to monitor a (legal) indoor basement pepper & sometimes cannabis grow.
The camera sees nothing outside the tent and there is no audio on the feed due to the obvious security implications…. However breaches like this concern me a lot because of not just the ability to eavesdrop on the stream itself(which I somewhat prepared for), but the ability to change my entire account or camera settings and even re-enable audio without my knowing. I hate to buy a new & more expensive camera for this particular type of use, but not sure I can trust Eufy to keep this from happening again. Also I wasn’t able to get it to work without using Eufy’s app & interface like I’ve been able to do with others… if I could, I would’ve just isolated it on LAN only from the jump. :/
Your video data is not local with HomeKit. Also, Eufy is a Chinese company so I think that is a greater security concern.
A statement from Eufy. Apparently the issue was quickly resolved.
communitysecurity.eufylife.com
and a more detailed statement can be found in this article:
www.engadget.com
Updated Official Statement
Dear eufy Security users During a software update performed on our server in the United States on May 17th at 4:50 AM EDT, a bug occurred affecting a limited number of users in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina. Users in Europe and other regions...
communitysecurity.eufylife.com
and a more detailed statement can be found in this article:
A bug let Eufy security camera owners access strangers' feeds
Anker's Eufy security cameras are suffering from a privacy bug that lets users access others' feeds.
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Thanks!
You were 100% right, it's dead easy to "block" internet access for the cameras using Asus router app.
I can't find it on the web interface but did it with the Asus router app.
Thanks so much for your tips on this. I should have done it long ago.
Hopefully my cameras weren't part of the breach.
I hope Eufy actually reach out to those that were breached , to inform them directly.
Just turned mine off. Now, is this actually killing any video footage from being uploaded to Eufy or just a dumb switch that hides the feed from the user and not from Eufy?
I dont have anything to hide....at least not thats viewable from a doorbell camera that only points down my drive. Well other than the fact there are a few weeds on the drive and it could do with cleaning!
If you had just turned off the camera in Eufy app previously, I thought I read that in yesterdays breach some people were able to turn other peoples cameras on and off from the Eufy app?
So best way is as @jhollington advised me and I just did it today - block the camera's internet access on your router. Really easy with my Asus router.
This doesn't affect it talking to my Apple TV HomeKit Hub and thus doesn't affect HSV at all. But you can test to confirm and verify yourself of course.
I should have done this a long time ago but better late than never ay
Everyone’s use case is different, but my indoor camera is connected to a HomeKit plug controlled by automations so that it only switches on when we are in bed (in a different room, I haste to say) or away from home.
Basically, when the camera is on, the room is either empty or occupied by the wrong people.
Basically, when the camera is on, the room is either empty or occupied by the wrong people.
Although none of them are gigantic I guess in a sense, these are the three things that I would like to see improved.
Higher resolution, I believe only 1080p is supported through HSKV, even when using 2k cameras.
More cameras per plan. 200gb storage plan is required for 1 camera on top of the iPad, Apple TV, or HomePod as a hub, but the 10gb plan is required for cameras 2-5 with 5 being the maximum. I only need two myself, but icloud prices jump quite a bit just for one additional camera to be added.
This could be my specific camera only, which are the Eufy in this article, but sound doesn’t trigger a notification, only motion get notifications.
Actually, yesterday's breach didn't allow for that — in fact, it wasn't a breach so much as a "leak" on Anker's part — users were seeing videos they weren't supposed to, but it doesn't look like anybody was able to see specific videos from other users.
However, it's definitely possible for the cameras to be turned back on remotely. The entire Eufy system is controlled from the app via external cloud servers, so if your Eufy account were to be hacked or compromised in some way, the attacker would have full control over your system. Even a bug on Anker's servers could inadvertently toggle the setting back on without you realizing it. This all remains theoretical, but obviously firewalling your Eufy system entirely will protect you from it.
It's a subtle difference, but the official 2K spec is actually slightly higher resolution than 1080p (aka FHD or Full HD). By definition it's up to 2048x1080.
I'm not really sure those extra 128 horizontal pixels matter all that much, but many security cameras call themselves "2K" while going beyond that to resolutions like 2560x1440. They call that "2K" for marketing purposes, which I suppose is technically correct even if it doesn't match the official DCI spec.
It's a very confusing mixed bag. Technically speaking, 2560x1440 is QHD, or Quad HD, which kind of applies to various 1440p resolutions. For some reason, security cameras (and some computer display makers) have coopted the term "2K" because that sounds better — closer to "4K" even though the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) spec for 2K is 2048x1080.
That makes sense, I will say that what I use my cameras for specifically the quality doesn’t matter so much.
When setting up the camera there was a noticeable difference in the Eufy app picture vs the HKSV picture. It wasn’t mind blowing at all, but it was easy to tell the Eufy was clearer.