Risk of Amazon Alexa Guard: No Battery Or Cell Backup

By: IPVM, Published on Jun 20, 2019

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

****** ********* *** ***** Guard ******* ** * "smart **** ******** ******" and **** ** *** help *** "**** **** home ****".

*******, *** *******—********* ** hardwired (** *****-** ******* backup) **** ******* **** just ** **************—** *********** like ******** ** * phone ****—******** * **** to *** ***** ** the ***** ** * power ******.

** **** ****, ** examine:

*** ***** **** ** built-in ******* ******
*** ***** **** *********** via ****
*** ***** ***** ** branded ** * **** security *******
*** ******** ******* ********* have ***** *** ************** redundancy
*** ***** ***** *** lead ** * ***** sense ** ******** *** DIY *** *****
*** *** **** ***** Guard ** **** ** its ********** ********
******** **** ******
*** ***** ***** ******** will ** ******
***** **** ******** ******** Ken ************

[***************]

How ***** **** ** *****-** ******* ******

**** ******* ** *** have ******** ****** *********, as *********** ********* *** ************** ** *** ****** site, ***** ****** *****:

****** ******** ***-** ******* ***** for **** ******* **********.*******, ** ***** *** optional, ****, ** *** most, ***** **** *** use ****.

How ***** **** *********** *** ****

*** **** ****** **** only ************ *** ****, as **** ** ******* ******* **** **** the ****** *********:

** *** ***** **** out ***/** ***** ****** goes ****, **** **** not *********** **** *** Alexa *** *** ***** Guard **** *** *****.

How ***** ***** ** ******* ** * **** ******** *******

******’* ***** *****, ******* ******* **** ** was ********* ** ********* 2018, ** * **** service, ** **** ***** from ****** ******* ** *** bottom ** *** ***** Guard ****:

***** ***** *** ******** Alexa ***** *** ******* the ******* **** ***** app ** **** **** “home *** ****** ****” according ** *** ********* video *****:

*** ******* *** ** used ** *********** **** security ******* **** **** and ***, *** *** also ** **** ** a ********** “********” ******, according ** ******. *** can ****** *** *** they **** ** ******* their **** **** *** Alexa ***** ******* ** the ****** ****, ** seen *****:

********* “****** ** ** the *****…” *** ******** next ****** *** ** a **** **** **** how **** ***** *** homeowner ***** ** ****** sounds **, ** **** below:

** ******** * ***** and **** ******* ** a **** **** ***** us ** “***** **** smart **** ******** ****** with ***** ***** *** these *********** ***** ********”, as **** *****:

*********** *** ***** ***** page, ** *** *** section ***** “**** ** Alexa *****”, *** *** user ** **** **** Alexa ***** “***** *** keep **** **** ****”, as **** *****:

How ******** ******* ********* **** ***** *** ************** **********

* *********** ******** ******—******* professionally ********* ** ***—********* has ********* *** ****-** power ** *** ***** of * ***** ******, as **** ** * backup ***** ** *************, either **, ******* ***** line ** ***** ** seen *****:

****, ***** ***** **** Alexa *****, ********** ****** power *** ************** *******, as **** ** *** screenshot ******* **** ***** ******** kit *********:

********, *** **** ******** kits,********** ** ** *** dealer ************** ******* ****** *** an ****** *** *********, cellular ******, ** **** below:

How ***** ***** *** **** ** * ***** ***** ** ******** *** *** *** *****

*****'* *** *** ***** increasingly *** *** ******* their *** ******** ******, even ***** ***** *** monitoring, ** ***** ***** without * ********* ****** would **** **** **.

*******, **** *** *** be ***** ** *** value ** ********* ***** and ************** ** ****** life-safety *** ********-**** *******, or ** **** ****, sound *****, *** *******.

********* *** ** *** know ****** *** ******* that ** *** ***** of * ***** ******, their **** ** ***** going ** ** *********, with **** ********* *** Alexa ***** ******* ***** clips, ****** "***** ******."

How *** **** ***** ***** ** **** ** *** ********** ********

*** ******* ******* *** Alexa ***** ******* ** part ** *** ********* security ********, ******** *** users ** **** ***** Alerts ******** ** *** ADT ******* ******* *** evaluation *** ********, ** seen ** *** ********** from ******/***** ***** **** ** Amazon*****:

*** **** **** **** its ********** ******** ** Internet ********** *** **** it "****** **" ***** to "******* ********** ********", as **** *****:

************, *** ***** *** purchase ** ***** *****, smart **** ******** ****** with ** *** ***** system, ***** ******, *** an **** ****** ********:

Response **** ******

****** ***** ***** *** be **** *****, ****** said ** ** *** "meant ** ******* ******** systems":

***** ***** ***’* ***** to ******* ******** *******, but ******* ********** ******** systems **** ********* **** Ring ** *** *** works ** ** ***** layer *** ******** *** customers **** ******** **** Smart ****** *** **** Lighting. ******* ***** ***** is * ***** *******, it ******** **** ******** Echo ******* ********* ***** be ******* **** ** adequate ***** ****** *** have * ******** ********** to *** ******** ** work.

*******, **** ******* '*********' systems, ****** ** ***** marketing ***** ***** ** be **** *** ********.

Alexa ***** ******** **** ******

***** ***** ******** *** to ***** ******* **** happen, *** ***** *** may **** ** ****** upon ** **** ** left **** ** ********* and ************.

Input **** ******** ******** *** ************

******** ******** *********** **************** **** ****** ***** expect ********** ** *** event ** * **** if **** *** ***** used ** * ******** device:

** *** ****** ** be ***** ** * lawsuit ** *** ****** are *********** ******. ********* look *** ***** ****** if *** ******* *** big ******. ** ***** Guard *** ****** ** be ***** ** * provider ** * ******** device ** * ************ of *** ****** ***** circumstances.

*******

***** ****** **** ***** Guard ** *** ***** to ******* *********** ******** systems, ** *** ** used ** * ********** service, *** **** **** existing *******, ****** ** leading *** **** ** believe **** ***** ***** will ** ********* ** part ** *** ******.

**********, ***** ***** ****, on ********* ** ***********, and **** ***** ***** to ***** ** **** offering.

Comments (3)

Jonathan de Chateau

06/20/19 09:47pm

***** *** ****** ******* that *** **** ** home ***********. **'* *** a ******** ******.

***** ** * *** difference ** ********* *** quality *********. ******** ******* are **** **** *** far **** ******. ****** systems *** ***** *** work, **** ** *** time.

*** * ******** ******* 'most ** *** ****' is *** ** ******.

Undisclosed #1

06/20/19 10:23pm

#* ** ***********....

Undisclosed Integrator #2

06/25/19 10:02am

***** *****, **** *** these **** ***** ******* they *** ** **** to ****** ******** ****** with **** **** *** therefore *************.

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