[LINK] Shared or stolen network services in Sidewalk - and Apple AirTag

Chris Johnson Chris.Johnson at anu.edu.au
Thu Jun 3 14:50:57 AEST 2021


Amazon's Sidewalk is about to borrow/steal some people's bandwidth to 
report on someone else's behalf. It is capped at 500 MB per month - 10 
minutes video. This is not small when you want to cap your outdoor use 
to a few gig or less.

Apple's AirTag system also steals internet access from passers-by. As 
well as appearing to enable gross invasion of privacy and stalking other 
people by the physical AirTag that may be placed in an ignorant other 
person's belongings, it use other people's connections to report its 
location back to the original owner by piggybacking on any other Apple 
device in the vicinity, possibly owned and paid for by a third fourth or 
fifth party.

In the Apple description "you" and "your" refer to the AirTag's original 
owner - not the person whose backpack or car into which it may have been 
slipped. If they do not have another Apple device on them they do not 
get intruder alerts until "after a while".

"AirTag is a supereasy way to keep track of your stuff. Attach one to 
your keys, slip another in your backpack. And just like that, they’re on 
your radar in the Find My app, where you can also track down your Apple 
devices and keep up with friends and family."

"Your AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by 
nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location 
of your AirTag to iCloud — then you can go to the Find My app and see it 
on a map. The whole process is anonymous and encrypted to protect your 
privacy."

"AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking. If someone else’s 
AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it’s 
traveling with you and send you an alert. After a while, if you still 
haven’t found it, the AirTag will start playing a sound to let you know 
it’s there."

< https://www.apple.com/airtag/ >

Reportedly [The Guardian] the alert comes quite briefly, quietly, and 
only after some days. The unsuspecting trackee may have been tracked for 
three days and may miss hearing the little device which is still 
reporting their location to the AirTag's owner.

Stephen Loosley wrote on Mon, 31 May 2021 07:16:32 +0000
> Subject: [LINK] WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?
>
> If you use Alexa, Echo, or any other Amazon device, you have only 10 
> days to opt out of an experiment that leaves your personal privacy and 
> security hanging in the balance.
>
> On June 8, the merchant, Web host, and entertainment behemoth will 
> automatically enroll the devices in Amazon Sidewalk.
>
> https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/amazon-devices-will-soon-automatically-share-your-internet-with-neighbors/
>
>
> The new wireless mesh service will share a small slice of your 
> Internet bandwidth with nearby neighbors who don?t have connectivity 
> and help you to their bandwidth when you don?t have a connection.
>
> By default, Amazon devices including Alexa, Echo, Ring, security cams, 
> outdoor lights, motion sensors, and Tile trackers will enroll in the 
> system.
>
> And since only a tiny fraction of people take the time to change 
> default settings, that means millions of people will be co-opted into 
> the program whether they know anything about it or not.
>
> The Amazon webpage linked above says Sidewalk "is currently only 
> available in the US."
>
> The webpage also states:
>
> What is Amazon Sidewalk?
>
> Amazon Sidewalk is a shared network that helps devices work better. 
> Operated by Amazon at no charge to customers, Sidewalk can help 
> simplify new device setup, extend the low-bandwidth working range of 
> devices to help find pets or valuables with Tile trackers, and help 
> devices stay online even if they are outside the range of their home 
> wifi. In the future, Sidewalk will support a range of experiences from 
> using Sidewalk-enabled devices, such as smart security and lighting 
> and diagnostics for appliances and tools.
>
> How will Amazon Sidewalk impact my personal wireless bandwidth and 
> data usage?
>
> The maximum bandwidth of a Sidewalk Bridge to the Sidewalk server is 
> 80Kbps, which is about 1/40th of the bandwidth used to stream a 
> typical high definition video. Today, when you share your Bridge?s 
> connection with Sidewalk, total monthly data used by Sidewalk, per 
> account, is capped at 500MB, which is equivalent to streaming about 10 
> minutes of high definition video.
>
> Why should I participate in Amazon Sidewalk?
>
> Amazon Sidewalk helps your devices get connected and stay connected. 
> For example, if your Echo device loses its wifi connection, Sidewalk 
> can simplify reconnecting to your router. For select Ring devices, you 
> can continue to receive motion alerts from your Ring Security Cams and 
> customer support can still troubleshoot problems even if your devices 
> lose their wifi connection. Sidewalk can also extend the working range 
> for your Sidewalk-enabled devices, such as Ring smart lights, pet 
> locators or smart locks, so they can stay connected and continue to 
> work over longer distances.
etc.

-- 
Chris Johnson PhD MACS CP MIEEE
Honorary Associate Professor
Research School of Computing, Australian National University
p 02 6282 1993    m 0401 498 684
e cwj659 at iinet.net.au




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