Posted on 05/30/2021 3:26:34 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
If you use Alexa, Echo, or any other Amazon device, you have only 10 days to opt out of an experiment that leaves your personal privacy and security hanging in the balance.
On June 8, the merchant, Web host, and entertainment behemoth will automatically enroll the devices in Amazon Sidewalk. The new wireless mesh service will share a small slice of your Internet bandwidth with nearby neighbors who don’t have connectivity and help you to their bandwidth when you don’t have a connection.
By default, Amazon devices including Alexa, Echo, Ring, security cams, outdoor lights, motion sensors, and Tile trackers will enroll in the system. And since only a tiny fraction of people take the time to change default settings, that means millions of people will be co-opted into the program whether they know anything about it or not.
Amazon has published a white paper detailing the technical underpinnings and service terms that it says will protect the privacy and security of this bold undertaking. To be fair, the paper is fairly comprehensive, and so far no one has pointed out specific flaws that undermine the encryption or other safeguards being put in place. But there are enough theoretical risks to give users pause.
Wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have a history of being insecure. Remember WEP, the encryption scheme that protected Wi-Fi traffic from being monitored by nearby parties? It was widely used for four years before researchers exposed flaws that made decrypting data relatively easy for attackers. WPA, the technology that replaced WEP, is much more robust, but it also has a checkered
(Excerpt) Read more at theentrepreneurfund.com ...
LOL
I just posted the article on Facebook. We’ll see if it’s deleted
Done right, this is actually a good thing. I’ve long wanted home routers to provide a mesh network by default, enabling a critical mass to bypass ISP service per se - a ubiquitous Internet connectivity without requiring crappy basic service.
Idea here is each router provides a SMALL fraction of bandwidth to anyone/everyone else, providing basic service to everyone and pressure for ISPs to improve service (rather than milk it).
IN #38 Duncanwaring posts a link to Karl Denninger/market-ticker.org (always worth reading). It is more of a better tracking device, if you want internet when out of range of your home network.
“Now Joe’s Amazon device, for whatever reason (say, it’s in his car or on his dog) is out of range of his WiFi network. It’s looking for that network, but now, not just that network. Nope, now it’s looking for something that it can talk to through this “back door” connection. Best guess, without reading their paper on it in detail: It’s looking for a MAC prefix on a broadcast SSID that says it’s an Amazon-vended device, and if it sees it then it pings at it which results in a “fake” network association it can talk to and does, with a seed key from and generated by Amazon itself.
Except.... wait a second; the existing device has an IP address. So now that existing device (your doorbell) has to run NAT or, in the case of IPv6, go get a second assignment from the gateway (because there are lots in that instance available.)
This sounds reasonably secure but there is a problem: The “roaming” device just got pinned to you because your location is likely known and fixed. In other words now Amazon knows exactly where that thing is that just used “Sidewalk”, whatever it may be.
Yes, I know Amazon says in their white paper they don’t keep that data beyond the ephemeral requirement to do so while the device is in range, and they roll it every 15 minutes. Uh huh. When was the last time anything on the Internet was intentionally discarded if it had value and what are you going to do to Amazon if they’re either lying or that data gets logged and cataloged somewhere, either by them or by someone else’s (e.g. a government’s) request?”
‘was the fish tank heater.’
i think that was a vegas hotel
I’m actually OK with “free internet for the homeless”. I’ve appreciated open routers, and would like to see it without having to fully expose my network. Sure, opt-out if you like; default the routers to (say) 1% of bandwidth available to all, including other routers.
Well... you won't believe what your dryer told my dryer about you the other day. Man O Man.
EMP your shoes.
I for one look forward to our new Artificially Intelligent, attitude adjusted, emotionally stable, soft pleasure bot overlords who share our internet with our neighbors.
In the meantime, my toaster seems to be doing a pretty good job of managing my life.
Amazon being a bad actor is their default setting.
Defund the enemy.
Dump Amazon.
I like to make my own smart TV by running a PC and using the TV as a monitor. I feel it’s safer but I could be wrong.
“it began to sound creepy to us “
In what way? Does it communicate at random times?
When we order from Amazon, we have that two-step verification thing like you do for bill pay. Enter user name, then password, then the code you get immediately via text. We’d been hacked a couple times; this ended the problem. So far.
Only a fool would let one of those demonic devices into their home.
The worst thing is all of the assurances that we’re not being spied on and that our data is secure is absolutely false. High tech and the government has more than proven not to be trustworthy at all. Their constant assurances make me laugh.
“I heard they can also activate the camera and record what the see and hear.”
There have been quite a few incidences of baby monitors being hacked — both audio and AV. Hackers speak to the children when they’re alone, they can listen in to what’s going on in the home, etc. That is extremely creepy.
Anyone who has that garbage in their home is a cuck.
Walking around with Faraday cages on your shoes would be a hoot.
“make my own smart TV by running a PC and using the TV as a monitor.”
Can’t you do that with an HDMI cable? I’m not a techie, but I think I’ve heard that. Or do only smart TVs have HDMI connectability? I dunno ...
It’s hard to convince Luddites…but actually, without their knowledge, they’ve been listened to, spied upon and “shared” for years with one device or system or another. It’s the downside of devices that make life much more pleasant, but it’s pretty much inevitable in any electronic contact with anything.
I avoided Alexa for a while (although the device now comes with a pledge to listen only when you say her name or summon her up with some other signal), but the ease of use for music in the house, reminders, shopping lists, questions about some obscure rock star, etc. is really nice. Enjoy it but be reasonably prudent.
The point is that you can’t prevent “them” from getting your information…the important thing is to prevent “them,” including the government, from misusing it.
People are wasting time getting hysterical about the technology, which can be used for much good or much bad, but is neutral in itself. What you have to worry about is controlling (a) who gets the information and (b) what they do with it.
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