Study: Your Alexa Could Have been Replaced by an Evil Imposter

Whatever you do, don’t read this story out loud if Alexa is in the room.

Researchers have found what they call “a significant vulnerability” in the Amazon smart device that could give a hacker access to all your information in just one click. Cyber security firm Check Point, the company that conducted the study, says it’s easy for an attacker to gain access to Alexa, delete apps and then install new ones with the same activation words. So when a user tries to activate a viable app, the malicious one kicks in instead.

When asked about the vulnerability issue, an Amazon spokesperson said, “The security of our devices is a top priority, and we appreciate the work of independent researchers like Check Point who bring potential issues to us. We fixed this issue soon after it was brought to our attention, and we continue to further strengthen our systems.”

Do smart devices freak you out at all? Are we getting closer to a Terminator-like future?

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