TRENDnet Final Order Approved, First Action in Regulating the Internet of Things

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently announced that following a public comment period, it has approved a final order settling charges that electronics company TRENDnet, Inc.’s lax security practices led to the exposure of the private lives of hundreds of consumers on the internet for public viewing. The case stems from charges that TRENDnet’s SecurView cameras allowed hackers to view private video and audio feeds from supposedly secure network cameras. The lax security was exposed online by a hacker who discovered that private feeds of nearly 700 IP cameras could be accessed without a password if the viewer simply searched the web for a camera's IP address, according to the FTC's complaint. "Among other things, these compromised live feeds displayed private areas of users' homes and allowed the unauthorized surveillance of infants sleeping in their cribs, young children playing, and adults engaging in typical daily activities," the complaint states.