Cisco locks customers out of their own routers

[Arch_Angel]

Cisco locks customers out of their own routers, only lets them back in if they agree to being spied upon and monetized

Owners of Cisco/Linksys home routers got a nasty shock this week, when their devices automatically downloaded a new operating system, which locked out device owners. After the update, the only way to reconfigure your router was to create an account on Cisco's "cloud" service, signing up to a service agreement that gives Cisco the right to spy on your Internet use and sell its findings, and also gives them the right to disconnect you (and lock you out of your router) whenever they feel like it.

They say that "if you're not paying for the product, you are the product." But increasingly, even if you do pay for the product, you're still the product, and you aren't allowed to own anything. Ownership is a right reserved to synthetic corporate persons, and off-limits to us poor meat-humans.

Read more: http://boingboing.net/2012/07/03/cis...-out-of-t.html

Wow.

[DarkAngel]

Is this for real? Anybody here experience lockout on their Cisco router?

[Flexx17]

if this is 100% true and its a permanent move....guess who wont be buying cisco routers anymore

[Arch_Angel]

Is this for real?

A lot more sources if you want another opinion.

PC Magazine: Users Irked by Cisco's Clumsy Connect Cloud Debut
IT World Canada: Cisco changes privacy policy for Linksys routers
Computer World: Cisco changes privacy policy for Linksys routers after uproar

Just to name a few.

It seems it stems from their new Cisco Connect Cloud service they rolled out. They automatically upgraded their customers routers with this new service and made it mandatory to have a Cloud account to access and use your router.

[M20]

Must be for new routers.

[grim386]

Cisco is Anti-porn

Linksys EA3500, EA4500 and EA2700 router models

lets hope the update down filter down to older models

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...cloud-service/

[khat17]

DD-WRT FTW. Don't want "big brother" looking over my shoulder every step of the way.

[grim386]

Cisco has backpedaled tonight, with a blog post saying the service—Cisco Connect Cloud—will no longer be the default management tool. "In response to our customers’ concerns, we have simplified the process for opting-out of the Cisco Connect Cloud service and have changed the default setting back to traditional router set-up and management," Cisco home network VP Brett Wingo wrote.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/...All+content%29

[techdude]

Wow so no 1 in cisco couldn't point out that this would create an up-roar from their customers??

[Taneipoo]

You don't matter, eventually we're all spied on.... Check FB, people are the product! That's the in thing!