50,000 TRENDnet customers could be affected by security camera privacy breach.
Up to 50,000 people who bought and installed a security camera made by the US company TRENDnet before it was discovered that the live footage they captured could be watched by anyone with an internet connection, without even having to guess a password.
Since the flaw was discovered in January, some TRENDnet customers have taken steps to fix it. But many haven't, and apparently remain unaware that the devices they installed to keep themselves safe could in fact be doing the exact opposite.
The reason they remain unaware is because very few customers registered their devices with the company, and TRENDnet is unable to fix the problem remotely. Users must download a software update from the company's website and install it manually.
The Australian distributor for TRENDnet took steps to contact local customers in February but many customers are impossible to identify by their camera feed.
Even when it is possible to track down the owner of a webcam, the scale of the problem can be difficult to explain. One office worker at a university identified by Fairfax Media through its camera footage sounded suspicious when the problem was described over the phone, and did not answer emails offering advice on how to fix it.
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/watching-martha-50000-affected-by-security-camera-privacy-breach-20120410-1wlp6.html