[From the last episode: we looked at ways that hackersA misused, but common term for an unauthorized person trying to break into a device or network. Originally, in this context, "hackers" referred to the good guys (or "white hats"), while "crackers" were the bad guys (black hats). can try to break into hardwareIn this context, "hardware" refers to functions in an IoT device that are built into a silicon chip or some other dedicated component. It's distinct from "software," which refers to instructions running on a processor. to find a keyA number used to encrypt (or encode) information so that no one can read it. Keys are used when encoding and decoding. You shouldn't have to mess with keys yourself. – and ways that designers are trying to protect against that.]
Today we’re going to look at yet another consumer IoTThe Internet of Things. A broad term covering many different applications where "things" are interconnected through the internet. product – for a number of reasons. It’s not my intention to post only bad news about the IoT; it’s just that the good news – sometimes hype – is all over the place, so someone sometimes needs to balance that. It’s not so much that “this thing they’re selling is really bad”; it’s more like, “you’ve seen the good, now here is a flip-side to take into account.”
And, as we’re talking about Amazon today, I should probably come clean with my biases. I’m not a huge fan of monopolies or companies trying to become monopolies. And Amazon sure seems to be positioning itself to become The Only Way You Can Buy Anything Anywhere. There’s lots of this behemoth behavior in high tech, but Amazon’s effect on consumers is more direct.
All of that said, I’ll include a few links to articles – some critical, some not.
The first article is the most far-reaching, dealing not only with installation and usage experience, but also with ramifications for Amazon taking control. (So, yeah, that resonated with me.) The others (here and here) deal more with home securityRefers to whether or not IoT devices or data are protected from unauthorized viewers. concerns.
How Amazon Key Works
The product is Amazon Key, and it has an obvious benefit: thwarting porch pirates. We’ve probably all experienced at least once a delivered package that disappeared from the porch before the intended recipient retrieved it. So the clever idea here is to have an electronic lock that can be opened by a delivery person with a code so that they can put the boxes inside the home, where no one can steal them.
I know I’ve posted question marks about consumer IoT usefulness before, but this is a clear solution to a definite problem. It’s the kind of thing the IoT does well. So, if that’s the case, who could possibly have an issue with it?
Well, one of the concerns is, of course, security. You’re letting a total stranger enter your house. How do you know that this stranger won’t rummage around and leave with more than they delivered? Amazon has a few ways of keeping this safe:
- The code that they use to unlock the door works only once, so they can’t come back.
- There’s a camera outside that records the delivery, so, if they linger in the house, you’ll see it. Like everything, the camera turned out to be hackable, but that one hack was fixed.
- Amazon claims to vet all of its drivers carefully. (Of course, at some point, they may replace all their drivers with drones, making that a moot point…)
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
So what are the issues then? Well, the first ubiquitous concern is hackingThis can mean a couple things. A quick-and-dirty (but not elegant) trick to get something done is a hack. A computer security break-in is also a hack (because inelegant tricks are used to break in). It can be a noun or a verb ("he hacked my computer").. In this case, the IoT device in question – the lock – is in fact the device of interest, since it guards all of the valuables inside the house.
The bigger issue is the concern I raised above: it puts Amazon center stage for retail. No other retailers can use that lock. If you value what the lock provides, then you pretty much can’t order delivery from any other company. And anyone that wants to sell to you has to go through Amazon. That gives Amazon enormous economic power. They get to control prices and how much of a cut they get.
So, in this case, it’s not the lock itself that’s the issue – it’s that Amazon controls the lock. If some other company were to create a smart lock and make arrangements with the various delivery servicesWe are used to purchasing products outright. "Services" is a new concept where you may or may not buy the product, but optional or mandatory services come with the product. Those services may have an ongoing cost separate from the purchase price., then any company could use it – it wouldn’t be restricted to Amazon. I kind of hope that happens, frankly.
As you can see from the articles, people have come to different conclusions about the balance between the pros and cons of this product. Some may decide in favor of convenience; some in favor of less hackability; some in favor of not giving Amazon control of their front door. But this is one of those examples where you need all sides of the discussion to make your decision.
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