It’s been nearly a year since Wyze’s last infamous security incident, where 13,000 customers had their private home video feeds exposed to total strangers. This followed a string of security breaches, including exposed databases in 2022 and exposed video files that same year, followed by a September 2023 breach. We stopped recommending Wyze security cameras around that time.
Since then, Wyze has been largely incident-free as the company focuses on updates like its latest AI video descriptions and recognition, which can summarize a day’s video events or search your video to find specific video. Features like that put Wyze in competition with similar services from Google’s Gemini-fueled Home app updates and Ring’s smart searching, among others. But we’re still not ready to recommend Wyze again.
A lot can happen in a year, but it’s still a short time to recover from serious data breaches. We’d like to see Wyze continue to keep its users’ data intact for a while longer before starting to endorse their devices again. However, it’s a promising start to the security company’s recovery.
Wyze’s response to security issues
When we reached out to Wyze for comment on the 2023/2024 breaches, company representative Dave Crosby responded with steps Wyze is taking in light of those events. The company is creating 10 to 12 new engineering positions to simplify and “stress test” its code and to reduce reliance on third parties, Crosby said in an email. He added that Wyze has also been undergoing “penetration testing” and making “multiple process improvements” to increase customer security.
You can view Wyze’s current security and compliance rules here to learn about vulnerability disclosures and the kinds of encryption the company now uses, including mandated two-factor authentication.
CNET’s approach to home security flaws and your privacy
Wyze is far from the only smart home brand to encounter security vulnerabilities and data breaches. While actual thieves trying to hack into your security cameras are rare to nonexistent, online theft of data is sadly common, which is why companies must notify customers when they find a security flaw or evidence of a breach. In past years, we’ve noted security problems with Eufy and data leaks with Ring, for example.
At CNET, when these problems appear we ask ourselves several questions:
- How does the security issue directly affect users’ privacy or personal information?
- Does the company respond immediately with strong customer communication and effectively find a fix to the problem?
- Is the security issue an isolated incident, or is it part of a pattern of security flaws that have happened over time?
- How long has it been since the last incident? Has the company improved its approach to security to avoid vulnerabilities in their consumer devices?
These questions help us determine whether to recommend a brand or product. Signs of security upgrades, better communication and time since the last reported security flaw are why companies like Eufy and Ring are currently on our lists. When customer data is protected during a breach, such as ADT’s hack of employee data in 2024, we’re also likely to be more lenient with a brand.
Wyze has certainly made progress. A year without notable security incidents is far better than the several years of issues the company experienced beforehand. But we’re still cautious about recommending Wyze products right now. Ideally, we’d like to see about two years of breach-free performance and quality products before we start choosing Wyze as one of our affordable security picks again.
If Wyze products do start showing up on our lists again, we’ll let you know and explain why we’re willing to recommend them again.
In the meantime, there are effective Wyze alternatives
Wyze has long been a leader in cost-effective smart home devices with self-monitoring subscriptions starting at $3 per month. If they’re no longer a viable option, where can you look for cheap home security products? Start with our updated lists on cheap home security cameras and the most affordable home security systems for the best leads.
If you’re interested in finding a particular brand, TP-Link’s Tapo devices are an excellent alternative with budget prices equal to Wyze and cams that don’t need subscriptions for the most important features. Blink, with products like the highly versatile Blink Mini 2 and subscriptions starting at $3 per month, is another strong contender.
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