{"id":320995,"date":"2025-11-07T13:13:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?p=292061"},"modified":"2025-11-07T13:13:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:13:04","slug":"ring-puts-front-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/home\/security-systems\/ring-puts-front-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Ring Puts Key Security Settings Front and Center"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p>At the end of January, <a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360034825092-Control-Center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Ring announced<\/a> an in\u2011app Control Center that became the foundation of its privacy and security tools. In 2025, Ring\u2019s toolkit extends beyond that launch: two\u2011step verification is required for all accounts and managed in Control Center, optional video end\u2011to\u2011end encryption (E2EE) is available on eligible devices, local video processing\/storage is possible via Ring Edge with Alarm Pro and a supported microSD card, and customers using Amazon sign\u2011in can enable phishing\u2011resistant passkeys for passwordless login (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aboutamazon.com\">Ring Privacy<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360056195471-Video-End-to-End-Encryption\">E2EE<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/4403765421595-Ring-Edge\">Ring Edge<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aboutamazon.com\">Amazon passkeys<\/a>). These additions arrived alongside governance changes: as of January 2024, Ring removed the in\u2011app tool that let public safety agencies request user videos through Neighbors (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\">policy change<\/a>), addressing long\u2011running scrutiny over camera hijackings and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/home\/security-systems\/rings-reimagines-neighborhood-watch\/\">unprecedented partnerships with local police.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ring faced significant media scrutiny over the past year, notably in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en_us\/article\/qvg48d\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ring-amazons-surveillance-camera-company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Motherboard\u2019s expose<\/a> of police contracts and reported algorithmic bias. Since then, broader policy shifts have accelerated: the European Parliament adopted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/news\/en\/press-room\/20240308IPR19015\/artificial-intelligence-act-meps-adopt-landmark-law\">EU AI Act<\/a> setting strict conditions on biometric identification; Chicago moved to end its citywide gunshot\u2011detection program amid performance and equity concerns (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\">ShotSpotter decision<\/a>); and Detroit agreed to facial\u2011recognition safeguards limiting arrests based solely on algorithmic matches (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\">settlement terms<\/a>). At the platform level, Ring\u2019s January 2024 change ended in\u2011app police requests (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\">The Verge<\/a>), a move civil\u2011liberties groups described as curtailing crowdsourced evidence solicitation while leaving traditional legal avenues intact (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eff.org\/deeplinks\/2024\/01\/ring-finally-ends-police-requests-neighbors-app\">EFF analysis<\/a>). Early coverage of Control Center included a <a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/ring-drops-a-major-app-update-putting-privacy-and-secu-1841397104\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Gizmodo-associated<\/a> preview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The update itself is no longer low\u2011lift. The app\u2019s Control Center now centralizes account security and data controls\u2014required two\u2011step verification, authorized device management, linked services, and video\u2011retention settings\u2014alongside law\u2011enforcement information (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360034825092-Control-Center\">Control Center<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/ring.com\/privacy\">Ring Privacy<\/a>). Users can secure accounts with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/home\/security-systems\/two-factor-authentication\/\">two\u2011factor authentication<\/a> and, if they sign in with an Amazon account, enable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aboutamazon.com\">passkeys<\/a> (FIDO2\/WebAuthn) for phishing\u2011resistant, passwordless login. For video, Ring encrypts by default in transit and at rest and offers optional <a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360056195471-Video-End-to-End-Encryption\">E2EE<\/a> on supported devices; enabling E2EE places limits on some integrations and cloud\u2011dependent features as documented by Ring. CISA recommends phishing\u2011resistant MFA where possible (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\">CISA guidance<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two\u2011factor authentication remains critical, but effectiveness varies by factor. In 2025 guidance, phishing\u2011resistant MFA (FIDO2\/WebAuthn passkeys or hardware keys) offers the strongest protection against adversary\u2011in\u2011the\u2011middle phishing and SIM\u2011swap attacks, while SMS\/voice codes are considered lowest assurance (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\">CISA<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/pages.nist.gov\/800-63-3\/sp800-63b.html\">NIST SP 800\u201163B<\/a>). This matters because the human element remains a leading driver of breaches and the use of stolen credentials accounts for a substantial share of compromises\u2014roughly a third in pattern analyses (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.verizon.com\/business\/resources\/reports\/dbir\/\">Verizon DBIR<\/a>). Phishing also leads cybercrime by volume, and Business Email Compromise continues to impose multibillion\u2011dollar losses (approximately $3B reported for 2024) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic3.gov\/Media\/PDF\/AnnualReport\/2024_IC3Report.pdf\">FBI IC3<\/a>). Broad MFA adoption plus migration to phishing\u2011resistant authenticators\u2014and the availability of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aboutamazon.com\">Amazon passkeys<\/a> for Ring sign\u2011in\u2014materially reduces real\u2011world risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By centralizing privacy and safety controls, Ring makes it easier to apply stronger defaults. Control Center surfaces privacy zones, an audio\u2011recording toggle, Modes (Disarmed\/Home\/Away), and adjustable cloud video\u2011retention periods (<a href=\"https:\/\/ring.com\/privacy\">Ring Privacy<\/a>). It also lists authorized devices so you can revoke access quickly (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360034825092-Control-Center\">Control Center<\/a>). For maximum privacy, eligible cameras and doorbells can use <a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360056195471-Video-End-to-End-Encryption\">video E2EE<\/a>\u2014Ring cannot decrypt E2EE content, but some features\/integrations become unavailable when it\u2019s on. Users who want local video can deploy <a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/4403765421595-Ring-Edge\">Ring Edge<\/a> with Ring Alarm Pro and a compatible microSD card to process and store supported events locally, reducing reliance on the cloud. Many Ring devices can also participate in Amazon Sidewalk to extend connectivity; participation can be disabled in settings (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360058863191-Amazon-Sidewalk-and-Ring\">Sidewalk and Ring<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One tab for all things security is a sensible design solution. It also clarifies public\u2011safety context: approximately 2,600 public safety agencies (police and fire) participated in Ring\u2019s Neighbors program as of early 2024 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\">The Verge<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eff.org\/deeplinks\/2024\/01\/ring-finally-ends-police-requests-neighbors-app\">EFF<\/a>). In January 2024, Ring removed the in\u2011app \u201cRequest for Assistance\u201d tool, so agencies can no longer use Neighbors to solicit user video; footage requests now proceed through legal process outside the app or emergency disclosures per Ring\u2019s policies (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360043721111-Requests-for-User-Information-Report\">transparency report<\/a>). If you enable E2EE, Ring states it cannot access your video content to provide to anyone (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360056195471-Video-End-to-End-Encryption\">E2EE<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while prior to the update, Ring users were able to opt out of the police program only after a police request had been made, now users can preemptively manage whether police can contact them. In practice today, Control Center lets you review law\u2011enforcement information and manage your participation in Neighbors, while video requests\u2014if any\u2014must occur outside the app via lawful process (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360034825092-Control-Center\">Control Center<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.ring.com\/news\/updates\/neighbors-public-safety\/\">Ring\u2019s 2024 update<\/a>). This aligns with broader smart\u2011home security trends: the U.S. is launching a national, voluntary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcc.gov\">Cyber Trust Mark<\/a> label; the U.K.\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\">PSTI Act<\/a> bans universal default passwords and mandates vulnerability disclosure and update\u2011support transparency; and the EU\u2019s Radio Equipment Directive will require cybersecurity protections for many wireless devices from August 1, 2025 (<a href=\"https:\/\/single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu\">EU RED<\/a>). In the competitive landscape, Ring offers optional E2EE and local storage via Ring Edge (Alarm Pro + microSD) on supported devices, whereas Google Nest encrypts in transit\/at rest without user\u2011controlled E2EE, Arlo provides mandatory 2FA and robust hub\u2011based local storage but not true user\u2011controlled E2EE, Eufy emphasizes local\u2011first storage with E2EE claims, and Apple\u2019s HomeKit Secure Video provides E2EE by design with on\u2011device analysis (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360058662594-Video-End-to-End-Encryption-from-Ring\">Ring E2EE overview<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/support.ring.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/4408697341332-What-is-Ring-Edge\">Ring Edge overview<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Google Nest security<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/kb.arlo.com\/000062493\/How-does-Arlo-keep-my-videos-safe-and-secure\">Arlo security<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/us.eufy.com\">Eufy security<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/HT210538\">Apple HKSV<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the end of January, Ring announced an in\u2011app Control Center that became the foundation of its privacy and security tools. In 2025, Ring\u2019s toolkit extends beyond that launch: two\u2011step verification is required for all accounts and managed in Control Center, optional video end\u2011to\u2011end encryption (E2EE) is available on eligible devices, local video processing\/storage is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":345,"featured_media":325799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1286],"tags":[],"post_author":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ring Puts Key Security Settings Front and Center - Reviews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A guide to Ring Puts Key Security Settings Front and Center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/home\/security-systems\/ring-puts-front-center\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ring Puts Key Security Settings Front and Center - 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