Editorial

Beware That Alexa On The Shelf!

Festive ‘smart speaker privacy risk’ alarm raised

Posted 19 December 2019 by Gary Flood


AI-powered voice devices such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home have become useful additions to many a British homes, and may be on your Letter to Santa for next week as a result.

But you might want to treat your innocuous-looking device with scepticism this Yule Season. That’s the advice, at least, from an internationally renowned cybersecurity expert at a Scottish University who is urging people to secure their smart speakers festive season.

Karen Renaud is Professor in Cyber Security in the School School of Design and Informatics, Division of Cyber Security, Abertay University

Abertay University Professor Karen Renaud is the source of this Christmas tech warning, but does say there are simple steps you can take to mitigate any possible security risk.

“I am not discouraging people from using these devices; they are very convenient, and have the potential to change lives for the better.

“What I’m saying is that you should set up these devices in a way that protects your privacy as much as possible, and stops people from abusing them.

“So if you get a smart speaker for Christmas, I would encourage you to take these steps immediately, and if you’re using one now, it’s never too late to update your settings.”

Her advice to prevent this holiday ending up like a George Michael tragic video:

Change your smart speaker’s “wake word” – the word that tells it to start listening

“If you keep the name of the device as it was issued, then anyone can wake it and ask it to do whatever they want it to do. I would suggest that you use a random, unusual name so that it is effectively locked to other people so that, for example, someone shouting through your letterbox would not be able to control it. It’s very easy to change its name through the corresponding smart speaker app.”

Switch off voice-based ordering

“Once again you can do this through the app, and taking this step can help prevent unexpected and unwanted expenses. There have been cases of children ordering toys for themselves, and there was even a case of a parrot ordering snacks for itself!

“Voiced-based ordering means that anyone who knows the wake word can order anything. You lose an element of control, but It’s very easy to take back.”

Know where the mute button is

“While these devices are on they are listening to everything you say or do, and there are always going to be cases where you’d rather that doesn’t happen. If you press the ‘mute’ button, it won’t be listening in to these private conversations.”

Turn on the explicit filter/family friendly mode

“With some smart speakers, family-friendly mode is not a default setting. While that doesn’t mean you’re going to hear your device spluttering out swear words, it could have unwanted consequences. If a child asked it to tell them a joke, the response might be a little ruder than you’d want, for example. Also, choosing this option will stop your device from playing explicit songs or radio stations.”

Got guests over? Pack your device away

“If you’re having a party and you have guests over that you don’t know particularly well, you might want to pack your smart speaker away. It’ll take orders from anyone, not just you. Changing the wake word as I’ve suggested is an excellent way of preventing unauthorised people from using your device.”

Abertay University is one of two public universities in the city of Dundee.