Ex-Secret Service Specialist Assesses Privacy Implications Following Flock Camera Data Breach

Former Secret Service cybercrime expert Jason Brown clarifies what data was exposed when a stolen Flock license-plate camera was reverse-engineered, emphasizing that the company’s broader cloud network remained secure.

Hackers physically removed a Flock Safety license-plate camera and reverse-engineered the device, yielding roughly 1.6 million images; however, a former Secret Service cybercrime expert maintains that Flock’s broader cloud network was not compromised.

Jason Brown, director of customer advisory and counter-fraud lead at threat intelligence firm iCOUNTER, spent 25 years with the U.S. Secret Service specializing in cybercrime.

Brown told FOX Business that distinguishing between accessing a physically stolen camera and breaching Flock’s network is critical.

“The most important point I emphasize is that Flock was never compromised,” Brown stated. “There was never a large-scale data dump from their network.”

According to WIRED, hackers physically removed a Flock Safety license-plate camera and reverse-engineered the device, recovering roughly 1.6 million images.

WIRED reported that hackers physically removed a Flock camera from a roadway pole and reverse-engineered it, discovering both encrypted and unencrypted storage portions. They recovered an encryption key stored on the device, which allowed them to unlock additional data.

“This involved an individual physically accessing a camera after stealing it from a pole, taking it home, and performing reverse engineering on the device,” Brown explained.

“This did not grant them the capability to log into Flock’s cloud system, and no data within Flock’s cloud infrastructure was accessed,” Brown clarified.

WIRED’s analysis indicates the recovered logs spanned roughly 21 days of activity, encompassing 1.6 million images, 50,200 vehicles, and 27,000 short video clips.

Flock cameras capture images and short videos of passing vehicles, transmitting them to the company’s cloud infrastructure for processing, where authorized law enforcement users can search the data.

Former U.S. Secret Service cybercrime expert Jason Brown told FOX Business that hackers’ access to a physically stolen Flock camera did not constitute a breach of the company’s broader cloud network.

Brown characterized the stolen-camera incident and an earlier security issue involving temporarily internet-accessible cameras as isolated events, rather than evidence of a broader Flock system compromise.

“These were isolated incidents that do not indicate a larger problem with the Flock system, to my knowledge,” Brown stated.

Brown noted that some cameras were previously remotely accessible due to weak authentication controls, but the issue was addressed and did not lead to access to Flock’s cloud infrastructure.

He stated that Flock reports approximately 97% of law enforcement agencies using the system now have multifactor authentication enabled.

Brown argued that the presence of a Flock camera should not alter how individuals conduct themselves in public.

“Should a person alter their behavior simply because a Flock camera is present? I would argue no,” he stated.

Flock Safety cameras capture images and short videos of passing vehicles accessible to authorized law enforcement users.

“We’ve observed positive applications of the technology, such as identifying suspects across city lines when a murder occurs in one jurisdiction and Flock cameras in another provide the evidence,” he continued. “While that is a positive, we must all understand that in public, we have no reasonable expectation of privacy. Anyone can photograph us at any time; it may not be polite, but it is possible.”

“Whether to deploy Flock in a community is a debate for the community itself,” Brown added.

Nonetheless, Brown said the incident highlights broader cybersecurity issues involving third-party and supply-chain risks “that many corporations would recognize.”

Brown noted that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence makes addressing these risks increasingly critical.

“The security posture of everything is changing by the minute,” he noted.

Photo illustration showing the Flock Safety logo displayed on a mobile phone screen on March 20, 2025.

“We must gather intelligence on third-party activities and collaborate with them before an incident occurs to ensure they are secure, thereby protecting our customers,” he continued. “In this age of AI, the speed and accuracy of these efforts only increases by the minute.”

FOX Business requested comment from Flock.

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