Amazon said its Alexa smart assistant, which is used in its Echo speakers, automatically downloads software updates to defend against new security threats. “That’s also what often gets us into trouble.”Ĭonsider the smart speakers from Amazon and Google.

“There’s still this whole sort of, ‘Gee whiz, it’s so cool’ thing that’s going on” with internet-connected home appliances, said Lee Tien, a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on digital rights. However, those who experienced such an attack through their home gadgets reported losses of $1,000 to $5,000 from the incidents. Only 10 percent of American consumers said they were victims of the crime in a recent study done for the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. The good news is that so far, online attacks on home devices are relatively uncommon. Or they could use a network of compromised devices to perform a widespread attack that takes down major websites, which is what happened last October. If one of these devices gets hijacked, hackers could potentially snoop around for sensitive data like financial or health information. So with a simple voice command or the touch of a button on our smartphones, we can set the temperature, turn on a light or prepare the TV to record a program.Ī lot more than most people are prepared for, it turns out. MODERN homes today are getting internet-connected light bulbs, thermostats, TVs and speakers.

Amazon fire hack home