São Paulo city government announces facial recognition for Smart Sampa after credential exposure

São Paulo’s city government announced that authorized employees will need facial recognition to access Smart Sampa after credentials for the video-monitoring system were exposed in a public repository. According to UOL, cited by Tecnoblog, restricted information was publicly accessible for months and allowed real-time viewing of camera images. Mayor Ricardo Nunes said there was no security failure and that a Municipal Civil Guard employee may have improperly shared a password. The city government has also adopted two-factor authentication.

Under agreements announced with the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office, nine Gaeco prosecutors will be able to use Smart Sampa data and images in organized-crime investigations. Another agreement provides for the cameras to help locate men under urgent protective orders who have not yet been found to receive judicial notification. The city government says the system has already helped capture 3,628 fugitives and locate 284 missing people.