“Hey Siri, dim the lights.”
“Hey Siri, turn on ‘mood music’ playlist “
Siri can be a great wingman on date night and ‘she’ and other voice AI assistants have made significant advances in recent years. However, with every advancement, there will be those who exploit it for malicious purposes.
The Dark Side of Voice AI
Voice AI can understand, respond to and mimic human speech and therefore presents new opportunities for cybercriminals. Some potential risks:
- Voice Phishing (Vishing): This occurs when cybercriminals use voice AI technology to impersonate trusted entities and deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information. The convincingly human-like voices generated by AI can make these attacks very effective.
- Voice Spoofing: This involves manipulating voice AI to imitate someone else’s voice . Cybercriminals can use this technique to create fraudulent voice commands or fake voice messages to gain unauthorised access or trick employees into performing unauthorised actions.
- Voice-Activated Device Exploitation: Voice AI technology relies on internet connectivity and data transfer, making voice-activated devices potential targets for cyberattacks. Hackers may attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in these devices to gain control of them.
- Voice Assistant Eavesdropping: Voice assistants are always listening to detect their wake words. Although they are designed to respect privacy, there have been instances of unintentional recordings and potential privacy breaches. Hacked recordings can be misused for blackmail, identity theft, or other malicious purposes.
Enhancing Security in the Voice AI Era
Steps that can be taken to mitigate some of these risks:
- Education and Training: Provide awareness training programs for your employees to familiarise them with voice AI risks. Teach them to be cautious when sharing sensitive information over the phone even if it seems to be from a trusted source.
- Secure Voice Assistant Configuration: Configure voice assistants securely by setting up strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication and disabling unnecessary features. Regularly update voice assistant firmware and applications to patch any security vulnerabilities.
- Network and Device Security: Strengthen the overall security posture of your business by implementing robust network security measures. This includes firewalls, intrusion detection systems and secure Wi-Fi networks. Make sure that all devices connected to the network, including voice-activated devices, are properly secured and regularly updated.
- Voice Privacy Controls: Review and configure privacy settings related to voice AI devices and applications. Limit unnecessary data sharing and regularly audit permissions to voice platforms.
Voice AI has massive potential for enhancing your business but can also be extremely damaging if not secured correctly. Talk to us about securing your business and our interactive cybersecurity training program that will help employees stay vigilant.