Cisco backs down on cloud control of routers
Full reverse-ferret over Linksys 'upgrade'
Ensure Ease of Recovery with Asigra’s Agentless Software
Cisco has completed its climb-down over who gets to control Linksys routers, it or the people who bought them.
At the start of this week, Cisco updated the firmware of the Linksys EA4500, EA3500, and EA2700 routers so that they could be fully configured using only its Connect Cloud service rather than via local management software, excluding functions such as parental controls and USB storage.
This understandably had a number of users rather peeved, with some raising security concerns about the cloud service and others pointing out that the terms and conditions of the Connect Cloud service seemed rather broad, granting Cisco the right to monitor traffic and internet usage and share it with third-parties as it liked, as well as the right to disconnect service.
In a blog post, GM of Cisco Home Networking Brett Wingo said that the company had taken heed and was clarifying the issue once and for all. The router firmware default will be changed to back to traditional local set-up and management (with a Connect Cloud option), and Cisco wouldn’t automatically push firmware upgrades unless the user selected that option.
Cisco is also changing the terms and conditions of Cloud Connect in light of concerns over data storage and retention policies. The routers won't store or transmit data about what users do online, nor will Cisco pull the plug on them arbitrarily.
"The Cisco Connect Cloud service has never monitored customers’ internet usage, nor was it designed to do so, and we will clarify this in an update to the terms of service," Wingo said. "I sincerely apologize on behalf of the Cisco team for the inconvenience we have caused. I assure you we will update our terms of service and related documentation as quickly as possible to accurately reflect our company policy and values." ®
COMMENTS
Well, that's OK then
... but then again, you never know what you can get away with until you try it.
Re: You know...
There is no "Cisco's side of things". 'You must go somewhere out in the internet to use the thing sitting _right the f*ck over there_" is stupid on just about every level there is. And "people got worked up about this, so I will think Cisco is somewhat justified" is stupid. I don't care how frothing some guy gets, that doesn't then retroactively mean Cisco's actions are in any way okay. If someone shoots your mother in the face, the fact your father wants to murder all the shooter's relatives and the relatives of anyone the shooter has ever met doesn't then mean the original shooting was sorta justified. the action was unjust (and so stupid as to make one wonder if Cisco isn't being run by congenitally defective cocker spaniels) - no amount of frothing can cause space-time to bend enough to make the original action achieve a glow of righteousness.
So when are you resigning?
When are you resigning Mr. Gm of consumer products?
Have any clue about the size of damage you did to cisco brand value?
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