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Siri and Alexa in Danger! VOICE ASSISTANT APPS PRONE TO SECURITY THREATS

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Siri and Alexa, the leading names in Voice Assistant apps and cover the iOS and Android may not be as secure as previously deemed to be.

Siri and Alexa, the leading names in Voice Assistant apps and cover the iOS and Android may not be as secure as previously deemed to be. Researchers from Zhejiang University, China, have identified a severe vulnerability in these apps. The researchers used the Dolphin Attack method to translate audio commands into ultrasonic frequencies inaudible to the human ear. The Voice assistant powering software deciphered these commands and performed the tasks. These commands included “Hey Siri”, dial “1234567890” and opening a malicious website on an iPhone. Hackers could easily make a car change its navigational system settings. It is apparent; the seemingly harmless, human-friendly UI programs in-fact pose security threats. According to the researchers, devices were hacked from a short distance. Once the desired command is played, the devices start performing tasks such as accessing websites, running codes and installing malware thus allowing cyber criminals to access the phone’s communications and data.Researchers used a smartphone and hardware with a small speaker and amp. The microphones installed in gadgets can pick up frequencies above 20khZ and perform commands. Researchers assumed that with the increase in user friendliness levels, the threats to this software also increase. The research was conducted on Apple iPhone, Google Nexus, and Amazon Echo. The research is to be presented at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security in Dallas, Texas from 30th October to 3rd November. One step towards cyber-security would be to turn off the apps whenever it is not required or/& until a solution is reached.

Read in SecureReading on Fundamentals of Security - People Process & Technology
How to disable Siri on IOS devices
  1. Got to settings >General > Tab on “Siri” and near the top of the screen, toggle the switch next to “Siri” to the OFF position.
  2. Confirm that you wish to disable Siri completely by tapping on “Turn Off Siri”
How to disable Alexa App on Android devices?
  1. Open the Alexa app on your Device
  2. Select skill from the sidebar menu.
  3. Select your desired skill and select it.
  4. Click on enable to turn it on.