The teacher of the Department of Information Security KB-1 at the RTU MIREA Vasiliy Shutov told RT in an interview about the rules that need to be followed when using smart speakers.
“Smart speakers with voice assistants have become a common item in the apartments of millions of Russians. They are used as alarm clocks, devices for listening to music, we trust them to communicate with children and control smart home devices. However, like any other high-tech device, a speaker can become a target for criminals with sufficient skills to intrude into privacy,” explained the RT interlocutor.
According to him, in order for a smart speaker not to become a spy, it is important to follow a number of basic rules.
“Make sure of the security of your home wireless network: set a complex password on the router, regularly check the network for connection of unrecognized devices. In the Wi-Fi security settings, encryption of the network according to the WPA2 standard is necessary, or with WPA3 if the router supports it. Do not neglect constant updating of the speaker’s software. Also, do not forget to turn off the device’s microphone when you are not using it,” recommended the expert.
He reminded that, according to the developers’ idea, the speaker should only record your voice after receiving a specific command. However, there are cases where the device interprets random phrases, for example from a background TV show, as a signal to record.
“If possible, turn off the speaker when you leave home, as there is a risk of hacking the IoT network (Internet of Things network) through voice commands. In addition, hackers use search engines for the Internet of Things, through which it is quite simple to find out the names of users and passwords of any IoT devices,” noted Shutov.
It is also recommended to clear the history of commands so that they are not stored locally and in the cloud, he added.
“These commands are needed for the speaker to better recognize your voice, but are not mandatory for storage. In most services, you can delete individual commands, commands for a selected period of time, or the entire history at once. Teach yourself and your children digital hygiene. Do not say out loud credit card numbers, passwords, document data, and other confidential information,” concluded the analyst.
Earlier, as RT learned, specialists from the RTU MIREA presented a robotic complex of their own design that is able to move on vertical surfaces. It is noted that the device will help perform work on emergency buildings without endangering people.
[…] Professional recommends to turn off the smart speaker before leaving home […]