When it comes to evaluating technology in the home, there seems to be no shortage of new devices and shiny gadgets, mainly part of the Internet of Things (IoT), to discuss. Unfortunately, there seems to be no shortage of security issues to consider regarding these same devices, either.

It’s not uncommon to hear of “virtual break-ins” caused by a malicious hacker connecting to a home’s network or accessing sensitive information through smart thermostats, refrigerators, and doorbells.

However, there is a particular kind of technology that is becoming increasingly popular, both in and outside of the home: the voice-activated device. Think of the many devices that “wake up” when they hear their name called – “Hey Google” on Google Homes, “Alexa” on Amazon’s devices, and “Hey Siri” for the Apple iPhone. Even more recently, applications such as Spotify are waking up to related commands like “Hey Spotify.”

It’s true that this feature can be useful. Without having to do anything more than speak, users can set reminders, (“Hey Siri, remind me to move the laundry into the dryer in 45 minutes.”) play music, (“Alexa, play 70s soul classics.”) or get directions and traffic reports. (“Hey Google, how long will it take me to get to the other side of town?”) Long gone are the days where folks might tie thread around their finger to remind them of something, manually put on a record, or pull out a paper map with a seemingly endless number of folds.

While these things certainly have sentimental value, it must be admitted that the corresponding present-day digital action is often more convenient.

What Are the Privacy Concerns?

However, consider the method in which these devices “wake up.” They must be listening for their keyword all the time. How (Read more...)