4 ms·

Am I right in thinking that this means that all comms between the Echo device and AWS are end-to-end encrypted? Big plus for the devices, if so.

ryanlol 10y ago
While I've got no doubt that they are end-to-end encrypted, this certainly doesn't even suggest that.
- kristianc 10y ago
  If they weren't encrypted, could they not just get the data via 'other channels' anyway?
  - ryanlol 10y ago
    Some arkansas cops investigating run-of-the-mill violent crime aren't going to be able to get access to retroactive packet captures of this guys connection. Even the NSA probably couldn't get such packet captures, but they'd be able to get the data from Amazons end.
    - cmdrfred 10y ago
      The NSA may be a different story. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempora https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempora
- johnward 10y ago
  Does this not suggest that Amazon could provide unencrypted audio files from their servers? That's not really "end-to-end" in my mind.
  - ryanlol 10y ago
    End-to-end just means that the communications between two parties are encrypted, in this case between you and Amazon.
x1798DE 10y ago
While technically an accurate description, I generally don't think of encryption that terminates at a service provider as "end to end". I usually think of end to end encryption in the sense of messaging, where it is encrypted when one human sends it and is decrypted when another human opens it.
- fixermark 10y ago
  By that definition, encryption for a cloud-based home automation system is impossible, right? "Here's the command from the Echo Dot." "Great, what should I do?" "Can't tell you; it's encrypted."
  - x1798DE 10y ago
    I think techncially it's possible for certain operations using homomorphic encryption[1], where operations performed on encrypted data result in an appropriate transformation of the plaintext data, but I am fairly certain that's not widely used, and I think Amazon would make a big deal out of it if it were used with the Echo. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homomorphic_encryption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homomorphic_encryption

ryanlol 10y ago

While I've got no doubt that they are end-to-end encrypted, this certainly doesn't even suggest that.

kristianc 10y ago
If they weren't encrypted, could they not just get the data via 'other channels' anyway?
- ryanlol 10y ago
  Some arkansas cops investigating run-of-the-mill violent crime aren't going to be able to get access to retroactive packet captures of this guys connection. Even the NSA probably couldn't get such packet captures, but they'd be able to get the data from Amazons end.
  - cmdrfred 10y ago
    The NSA may be a different story. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempora https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempora
johnward 10y ago
Does this not suggest that Amazon could provide unencrypted audio files from their servers? That's not really "end-to-end" in my mind.
- ryanlol 10y ago
  End-to-end just means that the communications between two parties are encrypted, in this case between you and Amazon.

x1798DE 10y ago

While technically an accurate description, I generally don't think of encryption that terminates at a service provider as "end to end". I usually think of end to end encryption in the sense of messaging, where it is encrypted when one human sends it and is decrypted when another human opens it.

fixermark 10y ago
By that definition, encryption for a cloud-based home automation system is impossible, right? "Here's the command from the Echo Dot." "Great, what should I do?" "Can't tell you; it's encrypted."
- x1798DE 10y ago
  I think techncially it's possible for certain operations using homomorphic encryption[1], where operations performed on encrypted data result in an appropriate transformation of the plaintext data, but I am fairly certain that's not widely used, and I think Amazon would make a big deal out of it if it were used with the Echo. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homomorphic_encryption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homomorphic_encryption