Have you ever received a phone call but no one answered on the other side? If the answer is yes, you may have been victim of an intent of stealing your voice. The Voice Hacking method uses your own voice and the virtual assistants to copy and perform several commands in order to commit digital crimes.
A virtual assistant like Siri, Alexa or Google Home is very useful, but you may think twice about using them because of Voice Hacking. It’s a new door for cyber delinquents if you don’t know how to use it securely.
What does Voice Hacking do and how it works?
The new cyber criminal technique manipulates voice recordings to simulate your voice and try doing crimes with your identity. They may try to open the door to your house or even access private banking information. The massive use of virtual assistants is a great opportunity for hackers to steal your voice identity. As well as other hacking methods, Voice Hacking uses voice recordings and AI software to imitate a real human voice. They can use your fake voice to buy things, control devices and steal sensitive data.
How to prevent voice hacking
In order to prevent a Voice Hacking attack there are certain tips you can follow. It’s very simple and effective to do the following:
Speaker strategic location
Make sure your virtual assistant is away from windows, television and sound sources that may reproduce accidental commands.
Customize the voice recognition process
Most voice assistants allow you to train them for a more specific recognition of your voice. This helps to prevent the assistant to start because of an accidental command of other people.
Avoid using the voice assistant in public
Don’t give voice commands loudly in crowded places. You never know who can be recording your voice.
Keep your devices updated
Most of the times, the updates in your devices include security measures to prevent different forms of hacking. Make sure your phone or tablet is protected against voice hacking.
Virtual assistant security in the future
Virtual assistants integrate more and more into our lives each day. It’s important to make security stronger and avoid hacker attacks. Voice recognition is a good security measure and it can help privacy and security if strong enough.
Another aspect to take into account, is that virtual assistants should never be used for home security. IP camera management or alarm management should always be through physical methods. It’s the best way to prevent impersonation issues.
Although virtual assistants make your life easier, you shouldn’t forget that they can make you vulnerable to cyber attacks. Through responsible use and good security measures you can make the most out of your voice assistant without risks of Voice Hacking.