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WATCH: Your Smart Speaker Can Be Hacked By Laser Pointers

You might want to move where your smart speaker is located because a new study has found that people can use a simple laser pointer to hack your smart speaker!…

R. Pitts for Beasley Media Group Tampa

You might want to move where your smart speaker is located because a new study has found that people can use a simple laser pointer to hack your smart speaker!

According to the study, hackers only need to use a laser to issue commands to a smart speaker instead of spoken words just by aiming the laser at the speaker’s microphone. Apparently smart speakers interpret the laser as if they were sound and interpret it as a command.

Researchers say they have tested this on Google Home devices, Amazon Alexa devices, and Facebook’s Portal Mini, as well as some smartphones including an iPhone XR, a sixth-generation iPad, a Samsung Galaxy S9, and a Google Pixel 2 and they have all had the same problem with what they call "Light Commands."

Kevin is a member of Tampa Bay‘s Hometown Morning Krewe on 995 QYK. He has been with the station for 25 years, is a Tampa native, and went to Jesuit High School and USF. Go Bulls!. He is passionate about all things Tampa Bay. Kevin writes articles on the ongoing road projects around the Tampa Bay area, awards that Tampa Bay cities and businesses have won and country music happenings around the Bay area. He is always doing many things with his wife and kids. He loves to read books and play video games in his spare time.