The Blackberry approach to handling social media seems to have a few more adherents who still think that an official announcement about an official announcement which will detail what will be done about a current, pressing issue, sometime in the very near future, is their idea of delivering great service.
Trendnet have made a name for themselves for providing wireless technology for home and business networks and they have leveraged that presence and expertise to also tap into the growing home-surveillance equipment business with web-connected home security cameras (you know the ones that send a feed straight to your smartphone via a secure connection).
The thing is that on 10 January a blog called Console Cowboys posted a way you could exploit a flaw in Trendnet software which allowed anyone who knew the net address of a home security camera to access its feed without a password.
In an interview on BBC Zak Wood, Trendnet's Director of global marketing stated that "We first became aware of this on 12 January. As of this week we have identified 26 [vulnerable] models. Seven of the models - the firmware has been tested and released. We are just getting to that point to be able to succinctly convey more information to the public who would be concerned."
Of course, we can understand that, those "concerned" who have paid money for the service have, for weeks now, had their private lives published online in forums and message boards which have been getting flooded with uploaded screenshots and messages like this:
"someone caught a guy in denmark (traced to ip) getting naked in the bathroom."
"I think this guy is doing situps."
"Baby Spotted," causing another to comment "I feel like a paedophile watching this".
Wood's Zen-like calm response to this is probably supposed to maintain trust in a company whose trademarked slogan reads: "Networks You Can Trust" but with Twitter heating up with observations and complains (to which they have not yet responded) and with the blogosphere abuzz with uploaded screenshots of people's private lives, you would think that he would take a slightly more pro-active approach to managing the crisis.
Instead, just this morning, a Press Release went up on the company's site back-dated 6 January stating that the company only recently became aware of the security issue and it is working to fix it and ending with:
"...TRENDnet is aware that this IP Camera security threat may affect your confidence in TRENDnet solutions. TRENDnet extends its deepest apologies to consumers which may be impacted by this issue.
Sincerely,
TRENDnet Management"
Consistent with a company's inability to grasp the essentials of the social media age, there is no name to the Press Release (obviously the Management as a whole take credit for it, collectively), no contact telephone number and the email address goes to a department rather than a person.
As for when the issue may be completely fixed, well Woods was unequivocal about that:
"We are planning an official release of information to the public concerning this, but in advance I can tell you that this week we are targeting to have firmware to all affected models."
In the meantime if you happen to have a Trendnet home security camera and it's one of the models affected, my advice would be get dressed in the dark.