Cybersecurity experts have warned prominent individuals against putting smart speakers in their homes as it would leave them vulnerable.
In recent years, Amazon and Google's smart speakers have become increasingly popular, allowing users to control their homes with simple voice commands.
This means that the microphone is always on and ready to receive voice.
Sadie Creese, a professor of cybersecurity at the University of Oxford, warns that smart speakers give hackers access to valuable information about them, their families, and how they live their lives, making them vulnerable.
Speaking to MPs on the Select Committee on Science and Technology, Professor Chris said: "If you're someone in a leadership position where threats might target you and force you to do something, or threaten you to do something that could hurt your organization or your family, anything – any device that reveals your lifestyle – will make you more targeted." ”
When asked if she had used a smart speaker herself, Professor Chris said: "Asking if I have a smart speaker is a bit like asking for my password. So I won't comment on that.
She advises anyone in a position of responsibility not to install smart speakers in their homes, "just as I would advise against installing cameras in the living room."
Professor Chris added that her warning does not apply to most people.
However, renowned cybersecurity expert Professor Alan Woodward said anyone with a smart device should treat it as "always on".
The bottom line, he says, is that you should treat any camera or microphone as if it were a live broadcast I have cameras, but they are all pointing away from the house, or seeing someone approaching the house, not the activity in the house.
If you feel like you want a smart speaker or home assistant", then you can check what it's collecting – Google and Amazon have the ability to view** captured and stored clips. ”
Tech giants have been sued for how data on smart speakers were obtained and used, and Amazon has repeatedly handed over recordings of smart speakers and footage of doorbell cameras to**, in some cases, without customer consent or search warrants.
However, Professor Woodward still advises those looking to own a smart speaker to buy it from big brands such as Amazon or Google's February Dynamic Incentive Scheme, and warns that in cheaper replicas, "security will be lower on the design agenda – you get what you pay".
The University of Surrey professor added: "The problem with most [smart devices] is that you are unlikely to know if it has been breached. "Therefore, in order to be truly safe, you should assume that it has been breached. No matter what some ** merchants tell you, nothing is 100% safe or unhackable.
Quite the opposite – if it's smart, then it can be vulnerable. ”