If you're using an E2700, E3500, or E4500, it looks like you may be able to partially back out of this forced firmware update, but no guarantee that even that slight comfort will last for long.
Bend over grab your ankles folks, Cisco has something new in store for you.The E2700, E3500, and E4500 all shipped with the “Automatic Firmware Update” option selected, which is why so many users found themselves asked to authenticate using a different account with no prior warning. Unplugging the router from the wall restored the old login/password function, but only offered a simplified menu structure that removed or obfuscated control of a number of advanced functions.
The second major problem with Cisco’s Cloud Connect is its “supplemental privacy policy.” This policy is an addition to Cisco’s Privacy Statement. As of June 27, the fifth paragraph read as follows:When you use the Service, we may keep track of certain information related to your use of the Service, including but not limited to the status and health of your network and networked products; which apps relating to the Service you are using; which features you are using within the Service infrastructure; network traffic (e.g., megabytes per hour); internet history; how frequently you encounter errors on the Service system and other related information (“Other Information”.