Understanding The Spy Inside Your Smart Speaker

Understanding The Spy Inside Your Smart Speaker

Smart speakers in our houses are just as trustworthy as the guests who come into our houses when we invite them. After all, it’s a device when connected to your home internet become a listening device to the outside world.
You as a consumer don't want someone to bug your home knowingly. Moreover, you give all your faith to this device and enjoy it . These new smart speaker platforms need to respect your privacy and provide reasonable security as you trust it by connecting it with every other smart device within your house.

Amazon Echo (2nd generation) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Heather Grey Fabric



Firstly
These speakers don’t always transmit or record your household audible activity. Although the microphones are always listening, they remain deaf to your chatter until triggered by a wake-up word. For example for Amazon Echo would be, ‘’ Alexa’’ even thought through the Alexa app you can customize your desired wake up word. For Google home you say, ‘’ OK Google’’ or ‘’Hey google’’ to activate the artificial intelligence. Similarly for Apple Home Pod listens to ‘’Hey Siri’’.

Google Wifi Whole Home System (Single Pack) – White


Secondly
Smart speakers are not vulnerable to traditional hacks as they are connected to secure company servers, which means you're data cannot be accessed by anyone who does not work for Amazon, Google or Apple ( depending on the platform).That does not mean your data is secured, as per security experts NORTON a smart speaker could conceivably be vulnerable to reconfiguration by compromised computer on the same network that does get hacked( although there is no date to prove its occurrence).
So, by having your WIFI secured and password-protected still stays critical as always. Saying more, avoiding trouble with your smart speaker is mostly a function of understanding and making wise decisions in your speaker’s set up and use.
Here are some tips by Norton’s courtesy to protect your privacy and to avoid misuse of your smart speakers.

• Connect only with secure wifi. E.g.:- don’t share your password with your neighbors and change your wi-fi password every six months. A router which allows you to set up a dedicated guest network for visiting friends and family, to keep the privacy of your primary network maintained and secured at all times.
•  Find out which smart speakers have an option of disabling the microphones when not in use. For, e.g.:- Amazon Sonos one and the echo edition have a button on top to switch microphone on and off. To stop Apple’s HomePod from listening by saying ‘’ Hey Siri, stop listening ‘’ or also by using the Homepod App’’.
• Never disclose your login ID and Passwords needed to use your Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home App. As having access to your login credentials can allow the user to reconfigure your speaker settings and also access your request history from another device.
• Enabling features like amazon DropIn and Apple's requests can expose your details at high risk of hacking.

DropIn is an intercom feature which connects all your smart speakers at home and even speakers owned by your contacts who have permission to connect and communicate with your smart speaker automatically.
It can be disabled through Alexa app in case you have privacy concerns. Enabling personal requests with your HomePod allows you to make phone calls from your speaker on your behalf or any user. To send a text or hear your recent texts sent hear out loud. This feature can be disabled.

• Online payment setup is the most common mistakes we do, so best not to set up online payments in case your children order products by mistake, or you get charges for add-on services. Amazon Echo speakers have an online purchase option on by default, by using the app you can turn it off or enable purchasing option via security pin.
• If you have an automated door system in your home, think thrice before connecting your speakers to an automated system in your house which can be controlled by your voice.
• Alexa and Google Home speakers make recordings of your voice to learn and provide improved services everytime you request for a service using your voice.

Everything you say or ask for is recorded in the system, to be on the safe side you should always delete sensitive request list, doing this might bring the quality of service down a bit, but at least you don’t have any data on the system.
To delete data and voice recordings from Amazon Eco

1.  log in to your Amazon online account
2. Select your device
3. Choose “ Your Content and Devices” link from the drop-down menu.

By setting up right and using the device correctly, you can avoid all the security issues. All you need is to understand your smart speaker features and applying common sense you can confidently enjoy all the benefits off of your smart speaker and minimize the risks involved.
For more in-depth knowledge about your smart speaker security click on the link below :-https://www.symantec.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/security-voice-activated-smart-speakers.

How To Educate You Smart Speaker

Be it any smart speaker, they are dumb for a fact, until connected to the internet, furthermore connected to your smartphone or tablet app.
All amazon speaker products and features can be accessed through the app called ''Alexa'' to use the features. Google Home app, setting up the device and controls can be accessed through google voice assist.
You can download free app depending on the type of platform you use ( Android or Apple ) and set up your HomePod via Apple Home App. ( Homepod only works with apple music as it only supports Apple-related products and services).
By using the app, you can name your device and change the settings according to your preference and connect it to all the smart accessories in your house like bright light or doors.Your smart speaker can do more than just telling your weather conditions or temperature or play music for you such as locking your smart door and switching on or off of your bright lights.
You can set up feature called Alexa Skills and with google assistant say ‘’ actions’’. Skills and Action can help you more by letting you order shopping, call emergency services, buy cinema tickets, control you dish antenna, dim or switch lights, turn on the fan in a particular room.
A wi-fi compatible hub is needed to be installed and connected to all the smart accessories in your house. One of the most popular brands which are compatible with all the primary smart speaker in the market is Samsung smart things Hub’’ it acts as an intermediary between your speaker and the accessories attached to your hub.
One of the significant benefits is once all the smart appliances are connected, and you have added a skill or action to your speaker, you would be able to control your fan, lightning, your smart tv just by giving one voice command.
The most exciting feature is giving one command for multiple actions. Both Alexa and google assistant follow an action called “Routine.” It’s a macro command which strings together with a series of action under one command. For example:- you can set up you smart speaker for a movie night which involves your smart tv tune into cd mode or turn on Netflix, connects your tv with an external home theatre system,
the closing of motorized curtains, putting air condition into quiet mode, switching the popcorn making the machine on, turning on the night lights in your passage and rest of the house according to the set movie night mode.
Apart from going and putting the cd into the cd player, you would be able to do all of this with just one command which is ‘’movie night’’.
Even the manufacturers are putting much online help through demonstration videos which can always come handy to save you time and frustration.me but frustration too.

Smart Speaker Accessories

Speakers were just devices which only enhanced the sound quality to enjoy your favorite tunes. Who knew those smart speakers would turn into revolution known as Alexa and other smart speaker platforms, where you can connect all types of gadgets to serve you better and make your life at home more comfortable, by just using your voice.
Like a Furbo Dog Camera, which can be connected through an app where you can see, talk and even toss treats for your dog when you are not present in your house.
Interesting, want to know how it works?
Enable your voice skill at Furbo account and start tossing treats at your dog by saying:-

•  “Alexa, ask Furbo to toss a treat every 30 seconds for five minutes’’.
  OR
• “Alexa, ask Furbo0 to toss a treat every 30 minutes between 7 am and 7 pm’’.
  The trick is to set up your command while you are at home and within shouting distance of your speaker. It has to be the voice of the person whom the dog listens to the most.
  With voice activation trending into our daily lives, you can get even a cleaning service to come and clean the house after a messy fun-filled night with your friends by saying “ Alexa, contact cleaning service and schedule house cleaning at 10 am tomorrow.’’
• Today there is a wide selection of smart devices which can be controlled by your voice like, door locks, cookers,
  electrical appliances, thermostats. Tv sets from Sony, Hisense, Samsung ( works on Bixby platform same as Alexa for Amazon ). Light bulbs and fixtures like Philips hue soundbars and speakers, streaming devices like google chrome cast and universal smart remote from Logitech Harmony and more to yet to come in the market for sale.
  Can we see an end to all of this ? to gives you a heads up U.S based firm KOHLER has lined up an extensive collection of bathroom and kitchen appliances which includes a mirror with customized lighting and speakers. The advanced toilet comes with a heated seat, foot warmer and hands-free control ( which means you don’t need to flush physically ).
  The best way to move forward is to educate your self on these smart speakers to make sure you control the device and not the device control you.

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