In recent years, the adoption of voice assistants has been a growing trend. This year, more than 50% of mobile inquiries worldwide are expected to be by voice.
Unquestionably, it is a useful system that offers us great advantages by facilitating our day today. However, like any device connected to the Internet, there are some risks that we must take into account. One of them is ‘voice hacking ‘.
However, first, it is important to know that there are two ways in which voice assistants can be compromised: from the Internet connection itself and from within the physical space in which they are used.
- Secure It Using The Singing Method or Singing Password: To do this, use the first letter of each word of your favorite song. You should not use password words that may appear in a dictionary of any language in the world, and you should try to make it usually have more than 15 characters. Also, the password of the Wi-Fi router must have at least WPA2 security.
- Keep Your Voice Assistant Away From SmartTVs, Audio Equipment or Radios & Windows That Face The Outside: For this, you will have to “deafen” your voice assistant by placing a stuffed toy, or any material that absorbs sound waves, or even an adhesive tape fine, in front of the microphone hole (usually labeled MIC) to reduce the microphone’s pickup sensitivity and thus prevent the assistant from executing commands from afar. This may sound crazy, but there have already been reports of “automatic shopping” when voice assistants hear malicious words or advertisements (with phrases like “Alexa, buy a yacht” or “OK Google, open the front door”).
- Do Not Say Any Voice Commands In Front Of Strangers: You can configure the assistant so that it does not give answers aloud. The goal is to prevent a stranger from recording your voice and then imitating it with sound editing software. Which would allow you to give commands such as “Alexa, open the back door” or “OK Google, check my bank statement.”
- Ask Someone You Trust To Try To Execute Commands On Your Behalf To Verify That It Only Responds To The Sound Of Your Voice: To make this happen, configure the ‘ voice match ‘ option (a function that recognizes your own voice in the Google Home virtual assistant) or the Alexa 4-digit ‘ voice code ‘ on the Amazon Echo (4-digit secret code before making a purchase). This will allow the assistant to “teach” to recognize only your voice (vocal biometry) and also program it so that it only shows results when it listens to you. This will prevent someone else from accessing your data.
Also Read: Voice Technology, Key To The Success Of Digital Transformation