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‘Hackers are going to have a field day:’ Security expert says amid launch of Amazon Sidewalk

Sidewalk uses the Wi-Fi signal from someone’s home and connects it through another Amazon device

The Amazon Sidewalk is the latest virtual expansion to improve a user’s experience, but some security experts have some concerns about the launch.

Hacking expert and author Chris Hadnagy said the consequences of the new network are unknown.

“Hackers are going to have a field day looking for the vulnerabilities here,” Hadnagy said.

[RELATED: Amazon Sidewalk launches, sharing your internet with others. Here’s how to opt out]

Amazon said the Sidewalk uses the Wi-Fi signal from someone’s home and connects it through another Amazon device. The idea is a device will not lose signal and devices such as security cameras can be placed further outside a home.

However, Hadnagy said this could make your home’s private network vulnerable to literal strangers, walking outside, on the sidewalk.

“I’m having a hard time with the pros, to be honest as a security professional,” Hadnagy said. “Now someone who is sitting out on the sidewalk can access your cameras and see your family? See your kids? Your daughter walking around the house? There are just so many things that go through my mind that are like, oh no! We don’t know how this works.”

[TRENDING: Amazon Sidewalk launches, sharing your internet | Fastly causes widespread internet outage | Man wanted in slaying shoots himself in store]

Hadnagy also said that even if Amazon feels confident in its three layers of encryption to access “Sidewalks” raw data, he recommends people opt-out. He said that is simply until more is known about the network.

“This may be a life-changing alternative. It may be, right. But if it’s not, don’t let your grandma, your mom, your brother, your sister, your kids be the ones to have to suffer,” Hadnagy said.

To learn how to opt-out, click here.


About the Author
Troy Campbell headshot

Troy graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. He has reported on Mexican drug cartel violence on the El Paso/ Juarez border, nuclear testing facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory and severe Winter weather in Michigan.

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