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Category Archives: Siri

Is Siri Inviting Hackers into Your iPhone?

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in iPhone, Security, Siri, Technology Leave a comment
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The following Guest Post was submitted by one of my readers, Robert Widner, a family law attorney in Dallas, Texas:

siri inviting hackers?Siri makes a fantastic personal assistant. She can help you navigate your phone, manage your calendar, answer your questions, and can even tell a great bedtime story if you ask her nicely. She’s become so helpful, hackers now say she’ll roll out the welcome mat for anyone under the right circumstances. The Network and Information Security Agency (ANSSI) from France uncovered this nasty little glitch, and they’ve proven that Siri will respond to silent commands from anyone within a 16-foot radius.

Hackers Can Send Siri Messages via Electromagnetic Waves

It requires a bit of finesse to pull the trick off, but researchers (aka professional hackers working for the French government), have discovered a way to silently talk to iOS and Android digital assistants. It turns out that headphones with an integrated microphone work as an antenna can pull in electromagnetic waves, which are then converted into electrical signals that the digital assistant recognizes as sound. Quite simply, standard Apple earbuds plugged into your iPhone, are all a hacker needs to send silent voice commands to your phone.

Once Inside, Hackers Can Do Just About Anything

In all fairness, it’s easy to see the hackers in action, just by watching your screen. However, many of us stash our phones in briefcases during meetings, or place the device upside down on a table during a discussion. In a public place, such as a restaurant, or even a courtroom, hackers can easily search for available mobile devices to connect with. Dozens of people in any given space could be vulnerable to attack. Hackers can gain access to contact lists, send texts, make calls, compose emails, or even open up websites with malicious codes and viruses. Realistically, anything that can be done using the digital assistant can be done by hackers, in total silence, from as much as 16 feet away.

The Equipment Needed Can Be Discreetly Hidden

Last summer, the research was presented at the Hack in Paris conference, though it received almost no press. Very little equipment is needed for hackers to pull the trick off, and it can be discreetly concealed. This makes it difficult to tell who the culprit is, even if you detect that your phone is being hacked while someone is actively accessing it just a few feet away. A laptop with GNU Radio, an open-source software, and a USRP software-defined radio, combined with an antenna and amplifier, are all that’s needed to access someone’s phone. If the hackers can get within 16 feet of you, the equipment can fit inside a backpack. However, researchers have noted that the distance can be much greater with an equipment upgrade. Though it would be more difficult to obscure, it’s plausible that hackers could sit in a vehicle outside a restaurant or other venue, prying into the phones of diners.

Apple has Been Notified, But there’s No Fix Yet

Researchers notified Apple and Google, and also gave the companies suggestions on ways to correct defect. They recommended better shielding within headphones, or perhaps software upgrades with the option for people to create customized code words to wake digital assistants. Voice recognition could also thwart would-be hackers. While the obvious temporary fix seems to be to turn off the digital assistant when not in use, researchers noted that many headphones have a button that turns the service back on. This, too, could be easily manipulated with electrical pulses. Until the companies respond with a real repair, the only way to protect phones and their data is to remove the headphones from the jack when they’re not being used.

It was only a few weeks ago that another Siri exploit was detected. Anyone could access the contacts and photos on an Apple device by waking Siri up after a few incorrect passcode attempts, using the clock app, and sharing. From the messaging app, the contacts could be searched, or a photo could be shared, allowing anyone free access to view all the stored photos in less than 30 seconds. When Apple heard about this, they corrected it right away, so iPhones, iPods, and iPads running iOS 9.0.1 are safe. However, the number of vulnerabilities being seen in digital assistants is cause for concern. For now, the safest thing might be to go sans headphones, and turn these helpful assistants off, to stop them from being helpful to hackers.

About the Author:  Robert Widner is a family law attorney based out of Dallas Texas with over 16 years experience.

Key Takeaways for Lawyers from Apple’s WWDC Keynote 2015

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Did You Know?, iOS, Mac OS X, Siri, Software, Technology Leave a comment
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wwdc 2015At Apple’s keynote presentation kicking off its World Wide Developer Conference last week, it unveiled some major improvements to its Watch OS, iOS and Mac OS platforms. Many of these changes are great legal technology that will benefit law practices. Here are a few key takeaways from Apple’s WWDC keynote 2015 address that attorneys have to look forward to:

OS X 10.11: El Capitan

The most beneficial feature of El Capitan, the new OS X for Mac computers, is that it will give people the ability to multi-task by splitting their screen. This will allow attorneys and other professionals to do two things at once, such as scan a new case and perform research at the same time.

iOS 9

Apple has added intelligence to its operating system with iOS 9 by giving it context sensitive features. For instance, if someone asks Siri, “remind me I have this” it will know that they’re talking about the meeting currently pulled up on their screen. Additionally, if an unknown number calls them, they may ask Siri to search their email for any matches.

Apple Watch 

Attorneys can now make the Apple Watch work for them in Watch OS 2 with the ability to make Face Time audio calls and respond to emails.

News

Attorneys can easily remain updated on law-related news stories with an app for the Mac called News. It will allow them to personalize their news stream and to automatically update whenever they open it. The app also includes graphics that will allow it to adapt to the news source’s aesthetics.

3 Reasons Siri Is the Best On-The-Go Assistant

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Jenny Stevens Posted in Did You Know?, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Siri Leave a comment
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SiriAdmit it, we all love Siri. Whether or not we’re using her to her fullest potential, we love having her on stand-by for a good laugh (just tell Siri “I love you” or “Why did the chicken cross the road?”) or for a confidence boost (tell Siri “thank you” and wait for her response), at the very least.

One of my favorite ways to use Siri, by far, is as my on-the-go assistant when I’m stuck in the car alone driving long distances. Putting Siri to work while I need both hands on the wheel is Productivity 101. Here are three ways she helps me stay ahead of the game:

  • Voicemail – In this day and age, I don’t get nearly the amount of voicemail I used to. The shear dominance of email and texting has rendered the standard voice message somewhat obsolete – at least in my life. However, despite the fact that I don’t get much of it, I typically like to return these calls when I’m driving between other appointments during my day. Siri makes that so simple. Ask Siri, “Do I have new voicemail?” or “Play my last voicemail.”  When finished playing the message, she will ask “Would you like to call back or play the message again?” Simply tell her to call  back and check one more thing off that “to do” list.
  • Scheduling – This is certainly one of Siri’s finer abilities – keeping up with a constantly changing schedule. Half the time, I have no idea what’s on my plate for the day, so on the way into work, I just ask: “Siri, what does my day look like today?” She gives me a run down of my scheduled appointments already on my calendar. When I’m notified of a meeting I can simply tell Siri: “Set up appointment with Dr. Smith at 10:00 AM on Friday.” or “Schedule a meeting about our taxes at 4:00 PM today.” And, presto, Siri adds those items to my calendar.  Maybe the best thing, especially for this mom of 6 kids with very fluid schedules, is that Siri can expertly handle any change that may come up with only minimal direction from you. Doctor appointment cancelled? Say, “Cancel my 10:00 AM appointment on Friday.” Done. Lacrosse practice moved from Monday to Tuesday? Simply say, “Move Lacrosse practice from Monday to Tuesday.” Done. If any of the new appointments conflict with your calendar, Siri is also smart enough to catch those too and will alert you, confirming no other changes are necessary.
  • Finding Food – Anyone who knows us, knows my husband (@TheMacLawyer) and I are foodies. But not only are we foodies, we also love to travel, so when we’re in a new city (or even just a big city with lots of variety), we don’t always know the best places to go. Siri to the rescue! Tell her “Make me dinner reservations for two tonight at 8:00 PM.” That’s it. Siri will scour the nearby locations for restaurants that have that availability and serve up a list of possible options organized by their ratings on Yelp. Simply scroll through to find one to your liking and you’re set.

Attorneys Can Use Siri As a Date Calculator

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Ben Stevens Posted in Did You Know?, iOS, Siri Leave a comment
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Siri Date CalculatorOne of the more tedious tasks that attorneys must do is calculate dates. Did you know that Siri can serve as a great date calculator to make this critical task as easy as can be?

If you need to know when thirty days from today (or any day) is, simply ask Siri, and she’ll tell you. How about asking Siri to remind you ten days before a deadline (or birthday or anniversary)?

There are also date calculator apps (discussed here and here) that work well, but the majority of lawyers will find that Siri is more than up to the task. Thank you, Siri.

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