Risk of Amazon Alexa Guard: No Battery Or Cell Backup
Amazon positions its Alexa Guard Service as a "smart home security system" and says it can help you "keep your home safe".
However, the service—dependent on hardwired (no built-in battery backup) Echo devices with just IP communications—no alternative like cellular or a phone line—presents a risk to end users in the event of a power outage.
In this note, we examine:
- How Echos have no built-in battery backup
- How Echos only communicate via WiFi
- How Alexa Guard is branded as a free security service
- How security systems typically have power and communications redundancy
- How Alexa Guard can lead to a false sense of security for DIY end users
- How ADT uses Alexa Guard as part of its monitoring platform
- Response from Amazon
- How Alexa Guard failures will be common
- Input from industry attorney Ken Kirschenbaum
How ***** **** ** *****-** ******* ******
**** ******* ** *** **** ******** backup *********, ** *********** ********* *** ************** ** *** ****** ****, ***** copied *****:
****** ******** ***-** ******* ***** *** **** devices **********.*******, ** ***** *** ********, ****, if *** ****, ***** **** *** use ****.
How ***** **** *********** *** ****
*** **** ****** **** **** ************ via ****, ** **** ** ******* ******* **** **** *** ****** site*****:
** *** ***** **** *** ***/** their ****** **** ****, **** **** not *********** **** *** ***** *** and ***** ***** **** *** *****.
How ***** ***** ** ******* ** * **** ******** *******
******’* ***** *****, ******* ******* **** ** *** ********* in ********* ****, ** * **** *******, ** seen ***** **** ****** ******* ** *** ****** ** the ***** ***** ****:
***** ***** *** ******** ***** ***** and ******* *** ******* **** ***** app ** **** **** “**** *** family ****” ********* ** *** ********* video *****:
*** ******* *** ** **** ** conjunction **** ******** ******* **** **** and ***, *** *** **** ** used ** * ********** “********” ******, according ** ******. *** *** ****** the *** **** **** ** ******* their **** **** *** ***** ***** section ** *** ****** ****, ** seen *****:
********* “****** ** ** *** *****…” and ******** **** ****** *** ** a **** **** **** *** **** rooms *** ********* ***** ** ****** sounds **, ** **** *****:
** ******** * ***** *** **** brought ** * **** **** ***** us ** “***** **** ***** **** security ****** **** ***** ***** *** these *********** ***** ********”, ** **** below:
*********** *** ***** ***** ****, ** *** *** ******* ***** “What ** ***** *****”, *** *** user ** **** **** ***** ***** “helps *** **** **** **** ****”, as **** *****:
How ******** ******* ********* **** ***** *** ************** **********
* *********** ******** ******—******* ************** ********* or ***—********* *** ********* *** ****-** power ** *** ***** ** * power ******, ** **** ** * backup ***** ** *************, ****** **, another ***** **** ** ***** ** seen *****:
****, ***** ***** **** ***** *****, advertises ****** ***** *** ************** *******, as **** ** *** ********** ******* **** ***** ******** *** *********:
********, *** **** ******** ****,********** ** ** *** ****** ************** ******* ****** *** ** ****** for *********, ******** ******, ** **** below:
How ***** ***** *** **** ** * ***** ***** ** ******** *** *** *** *****
*****'* *** *** ***** ************ *** and ******* ***** *** ******** ******, even ***** ***** *** **********, ** Alexa ***** ******* * ********* ****** would **** **** **.
*******, **** *** *** ** ***** of *** ***** ** ********* ***** and ************** ** ****** ****-****** *** security-type *******, ** ** **** ****, sound *****, *** *******.
********* *** ** *** **** ****** may ******* **** ** *** ***** of * ***** ******, ***** **** is ***** ***** ** ** *********, with **** ********* *** ***** ***** sending ***** *****, ****** "***** ******."
How *** **** ***** ***** ** **** ** *** ********** ********
*** ******* ******* *** ***** ***** service ** **** ** *** ********* security ********, ******** *** ***** ** send ***** ****** ******** ** *** ADT ******* ******* *** ********** *** dispatch, ** **** ** *** ********** from ******/***** ***** **** ** ***********:
*** **** **** **** *** ********** requires ** ******** ********** *** **** it "****** **" ***** ** "******* monitoring ********", ** **** *****:
************, *** ***** *** ******** ** Alexa *****, ***** **** ******** ****** with ** *** ***** ******, ***** lights, *** ** **** ****** ********:
Response **** ******
****** ***** ***** *** ** **** alone, ****** **** ** ** *** "meant ** ******* ******** *******":
***** ***** ***’* ***** ** ******* security *******, *** ******* ********** ******** systems **** ********* **** **** ** ADT *** ***** ** ** ***** layer *** ******** *** ********* **** features **** ***** ****** *** **** Lighting. ******* ***** ***** ** * cloud *******, ** ******** **** ******** Echo ******* ********* ***** ** ******* into ** ******** ***** ****** *** have * ******** ********** ** *** internet ** ****.
*******, **** ******* '*********' *******, ****** is ***** ********* ***** ***** ** be **** *** ********.
Alexa ***** ******** **** ******
***** ***** ******** *** ** ***** outages **** ******, *** ***** *** may **** ** ****** **** ** will ** **** **** ** ********* and ************.
Input **** ******** ******** *** ************
******** ******** *********** **************** **** ****** ***** ****** ********** in *** ***** ** * **** if **** *** ***** **** ** a ******** ******:
** *** ****** ** ** ***** in * ******* ** *** ****** are *********** ******. ********* **** *** every ****** ** *** ******* *** big ******. ** ***** ***** *** expect ** ** ***** ** * provider ** * ******** ****** ** a ************ ** *** ****** ***** circumstances.
*******
***** ****** **** ***** ***** ** not ***** ** ******* *********** ******** systems, ** *** ** **** ** a ********** *******, *** **** **** existing *******, ****** ** ******* *** user ** ******* **** ***** ***** will ** ********* ** **** ** the ******.
**********, ***** ***** ****, ** ********* be ***********, *** **** ***** ***** to ***** ** **** ********.
#* ** ***********....
***** *****, **** *** ***** **** based ******* **** *** ** **** to ****** ******** ****** **** **** wifi *** ********* *************.
***** *** ****** ******* **** *** part ** **** ***********. **'* *** a ******** ******.
***** ** * *** ********** ** standards *** ******* *********. ******** ******* are **** **** *** *** **** secure. ****** ******* *** ***** *** work, **** ** *** ****.
*** * ******** ******* '**** ** the ****' ** *** ** ******.