The new camera from IoTeX reportedly features a private key for access and end-to-end encryption of all data.
IoTeX, a privacy-focused
platform for the Internet of Things, has partnered with
camera manufacturer Tenvis Technology to offer Ucam, an indoor security
camera powered by blockchain technology.
Head of business development at IoTeX Larry Pang told Cointelegraph that Ucam users can access their camera data through a decentralized system
and log in with an “uncrackable” password. The camera or a user’s
mobile phone handles all the computing, meaning decryption occurs on the
devices, letting users control their own data.
“A private key is
used to end-to-end encrypt all the data,” said Pang. “We need to have
technology that guarantees our privacy and our ownership instead of
terms and conditions and policies.”
The system was designed to
avoid the type of data and security breaches that have haunted many
companies behind internet-based surveillance cameras. Amazon’s Ring
users reported
a series of breaches in December, some of which involved hackers using
the system to harass people in their homes. There were similar incidents
from Google Nest camera users this year, one of which involved a bad
actor playing pornographic sounds into a 2-year-old girl’s bedroom.
“These
kinds of hacks are all ‘walking through the front door,’” said the
IoTeX exec. “They’re password-based hacks, where they’re brute-force
hacked. An 8-character password can get breached in a few minutes.”
By
using blockchain infrastructure, Ucam will reportedly bring the
end-to-end encryption typical of cryptocurrencies to home surveillance
by using blockchain infrastructure. Pang said that even non-tech savvy
Ucam users will start to see the benefits of the technology, offering
the traditional camera features they want with the crypto concept of
“not your keys, not your coins.”
“What better kind of
daily life problem is there than peace of mind and privacy? That’s the
first kind of intro for people to crypto.”
“We can try to convert [customers] into crypto users,” said the IoTeX exec,
stating the underlying technology would provide a brand new way to
reach those unfamiliar with digital currency. “We’re not talking about
speculation of assets. They don’t really need to know about blockchain —
they just need to know privacy is the goal, privacy is the result.”
