Security.org's Privacy Guide:
Turn on the news and you’ll see countless stories about security breaches, hackings, and misuse of customer information. Is your favorite product putting you at risk? We rated 170 different devices and services, including:
- Security cameras
- Security systems
- Video doorbells
- VPNs
- Antivirus software
- Identity theft protection services
While the criteria for our ratings are different for home and digital security products, across the board, we examined:
- Encryption methods
- Software updates
- Password requirements
- Vulnerability management systems
- Privacy policies
We’ve rated the security level of each product so that you can be better equipped to protect your personal information and prevent a hack.
This video provides an overview of the safest video doorbells, security systems, cameras, and VPNs. We rated all products on a scale of one to 10 based on how securely they stored your data – and how much of it they kept in the first place.
How We Rated Products and Services for User Privacy
To create accurate rankings for individual products, we looked at a variety of factors. Two-factor authentication is important, but so is a company’s privacy policy. A history of data breaches is concerning – but did the company rapidly patch vulnerabilities? We considered all of that and more when we scored each product.
We assigned a maximum number of points to every category (with 100 total points available), and once scores were calculated for each category, we divided the score by 10 for the product’s final rating.
How We Rated Products for Privacy
Encryption: 15 Points
We checked each device’s encryption standards for data both in transit and at rest. We also checked that all network communications and capabilities were encrypted. Five points were given for each category.
Security Updates: Five Points
If a product offered automatic software updates, they were awarded three points, and if we could use the product during updates, we gave an additional two points.
Passwords: 10 Points
Having a mandatory password earned a service four points, and the ability to opt for two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication earned a service an additional three points each.
Vulnerability Management: Five Points
If a company listed a contact for reporting vulnerabilities, they earned three points, and we rewarded an additional two points for a bug bounty program.
Privacy Policy: 25 Points
We looked at each company’s privacy policy and deducted two points for what we deemed to be unnecessary logged data, like IP addresses, browsing history, time spent on the service, and the devices and browsers used. A maximum of 15 points could be deducted for this category. There were certain allowances made for specific products; for example, we would typically dock points for logging Social Security numbers, but we did not dock points in the identity protection category, as the monitoring of Social Security numbers is essential to the service.
We also took note of if a company allowed us to delete our data if we wanted to, and if we didn’t have the option, we deducted five points.
Lastly, we examined their third-party sharing policies. If they sold our information for marketing or advertising purposes, we took away five points. If they only shared our information with basic third parties like payment processing vendors, we did not deduct points.
Surveillance: 20 Points
For devices that could “spy” on us, like security cameras or doorbells, we noted if the camera footage or audio was logged, and if it was, we deducted five points for each. If a company tracked and logged location or GPS data, they lost 10 points.
Parental Controls: Five Points
The inclusion of specific software or accessories for parents to control what their kids do online earned a company five points.
Company History: 15 Points
If a company was embroiled in any data breach, security scandal, or hack where user data was compromised, they lost five points. If the company didn’t clearly outline how they would address the issue to ensure it would not happen again in the future, they lost an additional 10 points.
Additional Security Features: Five Points
While each product didn’t lose points if they lacked additional security features, if they went above and beyond in aspects like physical privacy shutters or digital privacy zones, they could earn back five points.
- Security Cameras
- Security Systems
- Doorbell Cameras
- VPN
- Identity Theft Protection
- Antivirus Software
- Password Manager
- Smart Home
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abode Cam
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abode Indoor Outdoor Smart Camera
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abode iota Camera
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ADT Indoor Camera
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Alarm.com V522IR Wireless Interior Camera
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Arlo Go
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Arlo Pro 2
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Arlo Pro 3
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Arlo Ultra
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Blink Indoor Camera
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Blink Mini
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Blink Outdoor
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ADT Self Setup Outdoor Camera
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Blue by ADT Indoor Camera
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Brinks Home Indoor Camera
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Canary Flex
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Canary View
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Deep Sentinel 3 Next-Gen Wireless Camera
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Fortress Indoor
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Frontpoint Indoor Camera
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Honeywell Lyric C2
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iSmartSafe Indoor Smart Camera
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Logitech Circle 2
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Lorex Super HD 4MP Camera
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Nest Cam Indoor
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Nest Cam IQ Indoor
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Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
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Nest Cam Outdoor
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Netatmo Presence
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Night Owl HD Wired Bullet Camera
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ReoLink Argus 2
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Reolink Argus PT
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ReoLink GO Solar Powered Camera
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Reolink RLK8-410B4 Camera System
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Ring Indoor Cam
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Ring Stick Up Cam Battery
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Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In
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Ring Spotlight Cam Battery
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Ring Spotlight Cam Wired
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Scout Indoor Camera
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Swann 4K
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Tend Secure Lynx Pro
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Vivint Indoor
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Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro
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Wyze Cam Pan
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YI Home Security Camera
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YI Outdoor Security Camera
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abode
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abode iota
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Alder Security
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Blue by ADT
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Brinks Home Security
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Cove
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Deep Sentinel
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Fortress Security
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Frontpoint
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iSmartSafe
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Kangaroo Home Security System
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Link Interactive IQ Panel 2
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Link Interactive 2Gig Go!Control Panel
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Lorex 4 Super HD 2K Camera System
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Lorex
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Minut
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Nest Secure
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Night Owl
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Notion
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Ring Alarm
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Scout Alarm
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SimpliSafe
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Swann 6 Camera 8 Channel 4K Ultra HD NVR Security System
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Swann SWDVK-445802V
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Vivint
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Wyze Sense
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SkyBell Slim Line
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Blue by ADT Doorbell Camera
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Nest Doorbell
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SkyBell HD
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Zmodo Greet Pro
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Ring Video Doorbell Pro
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August Doorbell Cam Pro
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SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro
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Vivint Doorbell Camera
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August View Video Doorbell
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eufy Security Video Doorbell
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eufy Video Doorbell 2K
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Scout Video Doorbell
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Arlo Video Doorbell
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Kangaroo Doorbell Camera and Chime
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Lorex Video Doorbell
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Ring Doorbell
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Ring Video Doorbell 2
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Ring Video Doorbell Elite
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Ring Peephole Cam
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Ring Video Doorbell 3
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Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus
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NordVPN
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ExpressVPN
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CyberGhost
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Private Internet Access VPN
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IPVanish
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Surfshark
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Perfect Privacy VPN
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Windscribe VPN
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BlackVPN
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FastestVPN
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Trust.Zone VPN
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ibVPN
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IVPN
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StrongVPN
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Encrypt.me
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TunnelBear
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Ivacy
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Hotspot Shield
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PureVPN
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Proton VPN
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Zenmate
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Avast SecureLine VPN
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HMA VPN
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VPNSecure
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Norton Secure VPN
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VyprVPN
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Mozilla VPN
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McAfee Safe Connect VPN
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Credit Karma
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LifeLock
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PrivacyGuard
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Zander Insurance
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IDnotify
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IdentityForce
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AllClear ID
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IDShield
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Identity Guard®
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ID Watchdog
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Avast Antivirus
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AVG Antivirus
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Bitdefender Antivirus
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ESET Antivirus
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Kaspersky Antivirus
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Malwarebytes Antivirus
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McAfee Antivirus
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Norton Antivirus
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Trend Micro Antivirus
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Vipre Antivirus
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Webroot
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Dashlane Password Manager
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Google Nest Hub
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Google Nest Hub Max
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Amazon Echo Show
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Amazon Echo Show 5
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Amazon Echo Show 8
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Amazon Echo Flex
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Amazon Echo Dot with Clock
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Google Nest Mini
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Schlage Connect
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Yale Smart Locks
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Kwikset SmartCode 913 Deadbolt