Flock Safety, the company that supplies license plate readers and advanced camera systems to law enforcement agencies nationwide, has confirmed a data breach that exposed live police camera feeds to the internet.
Stolen Mustang Found In Georgia Thanks To Flock Cameras
What Was Exposed
The company says a limited number of its Condor cameras were affected, but the exposure allowed unauthorized individuals to view live video, access roughly a month of archived footage, and even delete video from the system. The breach came to light after concerns were raised about publicly accessible links tied to the company’s law enforcement cameras, and Flock Safety confirmed the exposure after those concerns were reported to WPTV. The Condor cameras in question are built for police use and include features like 360-degree views, pan-tilt-zoom functionality, and AI-based object tracking.
How a YouTuber Found the Vulnerability
The issue was discovered by YouTuber Benn Jordan, who has previously raised concerns about surveillance technology used by law enforcement. While searching online, Jordan says he found camera feeds that appeared to offer detailed insight into people’s daily routines, including repeated movement patterns in public spaces. He warned that this kind of access could be misused by criminals or exploited as a broader security risk, given how widely the cameras are deployed across the country.
Jordan also raised concern that the same vulnerabilities could be exploited by foreign adversaries, or could extend to other camera products if similar weaknesses exist elsewhere in the company’s systems. He’s called for police departments and local governments to conduct more thorough vetting of surveillance technology vendors going forward.
Flock Safety Pushes Back
Flock Safety disputes the severity of these claims. The company says the exposure stemmed from a small number of cameras used during standard testing meant to confirm compatibility with cellular carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, and that the issue was identified, corrected, and addressed with security updates once found.
Company executives have characterized criticism of its cybersecurity practices as part of a broader campaign by activist groups opposed to law enforcement surveillance technology generally, with a spokesperson reiterating that the incident was isolated and not an ongoing concern.
Local Agencies Stay Quiet
Local agencies have largely declined to say whether they use Flock Safety cameras or were affected by the breach. Indian River County has previously reported operating 140 license plate readers, while the Vero Beach Police Department confirmed it uses the cameras but said it wasn’t impacted this time. Vero Beach officials said each camera costs about $3,000 but didn’t detail how vendors are vetted for cybersecurity risk before deployment.