Researchers Find Ways to Boost Security of Voice Control

Researchers Find Ways to Boost Security of Voice Control

Voice activated systems are vulnerable to hacking. Researchers from Michigan have found ways to bolster their security.

  • Oct 23, 2017

University of Michigan researchers have found new ways to bolster security when it comes to voice activated devices and systems. The aims is to eliminate the vulnerabilities associated with voice authentication.

It wasn't long ago when the news was filled with headlines of children ordering gifts off Amazon Prime via the Amazon Echo or Super Bowl commercials waking up Google Home devices to prove an advertising point. These instances go to show how weak the security is surrounding the devices we allow in our homes. 

Just like most other system, voice activated devices, such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, are vulnerable to hacking. With the rise of these devices and the implementation of voice control in a lot of other daily systems, the need for security is great.

Voice automated systems are generally vulnerable because sound is regarded as an "open channel" and this inlet can be easily tricked by impersonators. In many cases, the hacker doesn't even have to be particularly good at impersonations to access the system. A recording of someone's voice could even get past the security that is currently installed on these devices.

This all makes sense as the voice is generally a weak source of cybersecurity.

So, University of Michigan researchers got to work finding ways to give voice automated systems a way to double check itself. They came up with security-token necklaces, ear buds or eyeglasses that would listen in on voice commands and pair them up to on body vibrations to ensure they were coming from the correct source.

The wearable device would continuously register speech-induced vibrations on the user's body. These sound waves are then paired up with the sound of the person's voice. This then creates a unique and secure signature that allows the user to be confident no one else is accessing their devices.

If a person attempts to talk to a voice automated device, but vibrations are not detected, the device will know that the user is not permitted to use the device. Learn more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=65&v=EJHUXgInBOk.

 

 

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.