Washington Post (free link via MSN) Know who could be watching videos of your home and when, and how to lock your cameras down to keep the feed private. Private cameras are supposed to make people feel safer. The small internet-connected devices can be mounted outside your home to deter or record potential criminals, or inside to keep an eye on pets or elderly parents. Those same cameras can also put the people who own them at risk. They’re vulnerable to hacks, can collect personal data, and their sensitive footage can be mishandled by companies or their employees. The Federal Trade Commission recently asserted that the camera maker Ring allowed employees to access videos of customers and failed to use adequate security measures to protect the cameras against hacking. Amazon bought the company in 2018, and most of the problems took place before the acquisition. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) “Ring promptly addressed these issues on its own years ago, well before the FTC began its inquiry,” Ring spokeswoman Emma Daniels said in a statement. “While we disagree with the FTC’s allegations and deny violating the law, this settlement resolves this matter so we can focus on innovating on behalf of our customers.” The safest option is not to install cameras at all. But if you want to use them, here are steps you can take to do it safely…”