Amazon Alexa Voice Service and Alexa Auto

The Alexa Voice Service (AVS) enables device makers to integrate Alexa into a variety of products, from smartphones and smart speakers to home appliances and wearables. With the introduction of new voice-forward products, device makers need to consider how to secure their cloud-connected devices.

Amazon has defined two (2) main programs to test and certify devices or applications integrating Alexa Voice Services in order to ensure they meet their quality and security standards in addition to ensure products have good end to end user experience.

DEKRA is the first laboratory in the world authorized for both device testing and security assessment programs to meet the Alexa Built-in requirements and provides these services at several locations worldwide.

What is the Alexa Voice Service?

The Alexa Voice Service (AVS) enables device makers to integrate Amazon Alexa functionality into a variety of products, from smartphones and smart speakers to home appliances and wearables. For more information about Alexa Voice Service (AVS), visit the official Amazon Alexa website .

What is an Alexa Built-in Product?

Alexa is Amazon’s cloud-based voice service available on more than 100 million devices from Amazon and third-party device manufacturers. With Alexa, you can build natural voice experiences that offer customers a more intuitive way to interact with the technology they use every day. Amazon offers a collection of tools, APIs, reference solutions, and documentation to make it easier to build for Alexa.

Alexa built-in is a category of devices created with the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) which have a microphone and speaker integrated. You can talk to these products directly with the wake word “Alexa,” and receive voice responses and content instantly. Alexa built-in devices offer multiple advantages, increase connectivity, automate processes, but at the same time increase exposure to possible external attacks. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate security by understanding the ecosystem surrounding the devices. Nowadays, almost all devices are connected to the internet or a local network. If you want to integrate Alexa Voice Service (AVS) safely into your product, DEKRA test and certifies according the required requirements. We are here to help you with the safe integration of AVS into a variety of products.

What is Alexa Auto?

Alexa Auto is a voice-activated assistant developed by Amazon specifically for use in automobiles. It allows drivers to use voice commands to perform a variety of tasks, such as playing music, setting reminders, accessing navigation directions, and controlling smart home devices, without having to take their hands off the wheel or their eyes off the road. Alexa Auto uses a mobile app to connect to a car's audio system via Bluetooth or an auxiliary cable. This is important because as with any connected device, security is a critical concern, especially in the automotive industry where the consequences of a security breach can be severe.

DEKRA's testing and evaluation services for Alexa Auto help ensure that the technology is secure, reliable and meets the security requirements for Alexa Auto Integrators. During the evaluation process, DEKRA will identify potential vulnerabilities in the technology's design and implementation that could be exploited by attackers.

Why DEKRA?

Authorized Security Lab / Security assessment

DEKRA offers a security evaluation (baseline), adapted to be evaluated according to amazon security best practice. In addition to the baseline evaluation, DEKRA offers two other evaluation levels to ensure the security in the device as well as its ecosystem. The security assessment is available from the DEKRA locations in Malaga (Spain), and Hongkong (Greater China)

Authorized Test Lab / Alexa built-in tests

A seamless Alexa integration makes it easy for customers to interact with your product. DEKRA offers all programs for devices with Alexa built-In functionality to meet that target. The device testing services are available from the DEKRA locations in Malaga (Spain), Yokohama (Japan), Yongin-Shi (South Korea), Hongkong (Greater China), Guangzhou (Mainland China), Suzhou (Mainland China) and Shenzhen (Mainland China).

Authorized Security Lab for Alexa Auto Integrations

DEKRA offers an independent security assessment to meet the security requirement for Alexa Auto Integrations. The security assessment is available from the DEKRA location in Malaga (Spain).

Authorized Security Lab for Alexa Voice Service

DEKRA is an Authorized Security Lab for Alexa and offers three device evaluation programs for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs), and System Integrators (SI).

Baseline Evaluation: An evaluation is performed of more than 20 test cases to ensure that security best practices are implemented focused on device itself.
Advanced Evaluation: In addition to baseline evaluation, it includes 10 additional test cases evaluating privacy issues, and more advanced analysis of hardware and firmware. In addition to this, an evaluation of the mobile application is included (if it exists).
Full Evaluation: In addition to everything included in the Advanced Evaluation, Full Evaluation includes a dynamic analysis of the Firmware as well as an evaluation of the cloud services.

These test plans show the risks associated with an attack. To identify risks, vulnerabilities and security flaws based on the probability of exploitation in the products. It requires a comprehensive understanding of the full ecosystem – how everything works together. During the security evaluation, we may test the hardware, firmware, communications, mobile application, and web and cloud services.

Security Requirements for Bluetooth or BLE Requirements for AMA

Authorized Test Lab for Alexa Built-in tests

Authorized Security Lab for Alexa Auto Integrations

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