The Promise and Peril of Smart Devices

This article was originally published at Stratfor.com. In the world of espionage, developing and exploiting access to vital sources of information are the primary objectives. And these days, finding a way into information systems seems easier than ever amid the growing number of "smart" devices connected to our homes and businesses. Voice-controlled and hands-free microphones and speakers -- Amazon's Echo and Alexa, Google's Home Assistant, Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana, to name a few -- welcome technology into our lives and trumpet the dawn of a new era: the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things. According to their makers, virtual home assistants are "always ready, connected and fast," "work across your devices, and integrate with hundreds of apps," and when you "tell it to do things … it's your own personal Google!"