Is Alexa Spying on You
There have been lots of buzz surrounding the Amazon Alexa smart home assistant software lately and it seems that Alexa has been doing quite a bit more than just “assisting”. In 2018, a couple based in Oregon discovered that their virtual smart home assistant had been feeding voice recordings to an employee working with the husband.
Others have also reported the voice assistant laughing in This has raised the alarm amongst people who regularly use their home smart assistant devices and have left them wondering what else Alexa has been doing behind their backs.
What Is Alexa and How Does It Work?
Alexa was developed by Amazon as a virtual assistant software that were first used within Amazon’s, then newly launched, Echo home assistant devices. What Alexa does is that it listens to voice commands via a built-in microphone and converts it into a digital command, which the Echo will then process by sending the data up into the Amazon servers via WiFi. Once the results or command has been processed, Alexa then proceeds to carry out the action that has been commanded to it, using the features readily available on the Echo smart speakers.
Can Alexa Be Hacked?
As with all things that are connected to the Internet, anyone with basic computer programming skills would be able to tap into your private Internet connection and gain access to your Amazon Echo, hence controlling Alexa. One of the easiest way to control Alexa is by manipulating a “skill” that can be added to it and is readily available via the Amazon Skill Store.
The “skill”” works just like how an app would work on your smartphone, carrying out certain tasks that your phone’s built in apps cannot do. Usually, when a “skill” is accessed, the voice command input stops, until Alexa hears the wake word. What hackers do is that they adjust the command to end Alexa’s listening and processing abilities to be extended, essentially spying on you, even when a “skill” is in use. This way, the hacked “skill” can intercept any data that Alexa is feeding back to the server.
How To Protect My Data From Alexa?
There are a few methods as to how you can keep your smart home assistant from leaking your data to the whole world. Let’s have a look at some of them.
#1 Secure Your Internet Connection
Since Alexa is connected to your open home WiFi, it may be easy for anyone who is within the range of your WiFi to be able to hack into your internet connection and access your smart home assistant. Make sure that your internet connection has been secured with a strong WPA2 + AES password and ensure that the password is kept a secret.
#2 Disconnect Alexa From WiFi
When not in use, it is best to disconnect your smart home assistant device from the Internet. This way, even if Alexa is listening, it would not be able to transmit any of the data that is being input into it, thus keeping your data safe. For a higher notch of security, disable or power-down your Echo when not in use.
#3 Be Wary Of What You Say Around Alexa
Sometimes, you can forget that you have a smart home assistant and most of the time, you have no idea if Alexa is actually listening. When having sensitive conversations, such as with your lawyer or with you bank, be sure to do it as far away as possible from your smart assistant, so that your private details are not disclosed or sent over to the Amazon server.
If you suspect that your Alexa has been hacked by someone and that you’ve been receiving weird emails or calls to your phone or Alexa app, our Reverse Email Lookup or Reverse Phone Lookup would be able to help you track down the identity of your scammer.
Disclaimer:
The above is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal advice or specific recommendations in any way.
