Ring is introducing a new encryption system for security camera footage that is designed to give customers more control over their recordings while keeping cloud-based features available.
Called TAKE, or Throw Away the Key Encryption, the system will begin rolling out in phases from September and is expected to become the default encryption method for Ring customers worldwide once the rollout is complete.
Ring footage is already encrypted while being transmitted and while stored in the cloud. The difference with TAKE lies in what happens to the keys used to unlock that encrypted video.
The cloud only keeps the key temporarily
With TAKE, videos use unique, rotating encryption keys. Ring says a copy can temporarily be held inside a secure cloud environment when it is needed to provide features enabled on an account.
Once that processing is complete, the cloud copy of the key is deleted. The remaining keys are held by the customer and any Shared Users they have chosen to authorize on enrolled devices such as phones, tablets and computers.
The arrangement allows Ring to continue offering features such as Smart Alerts while reducing how long its cloud systems retain access to the keys needed to unlock recordings.
It is not the same as end-to-end encryption
TAKE should not be confused with Ring’s existing end-to-end encryption, or E2EE, option.
With E2EE enabled, only enrolled user devices have access to the encryption keys. That provides tighter control, but some features including Shared Users and cloud-based functionality are unavailable by design.
Ring says E2EE will remain available for customers who prefer that approach, while TAKE will become the standard setting for everyone else.
The distinction is an important one for security-camera owners: TAKE is intended to strengthen the protection offered by Ring’s default setup without removing its cloud features, while full end-to-end encryption continues to place stricter limits on who can access the keys.
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