As we bring more and more smart devices into our homes, we potentially open ourselves up to a variety of new risks with devices opening back doors into networks or falling prey to botnets.
German antivirus company Avira is launching a new approach to home security which needs no new infrastructure on the domestic network and no configuration done by the user.
SafeThings sits within the home router and works with cloud-based machine learning. Avira licenses the product to router manufacturers and internet service providers, enabling them to protect networks from misuse and to deliver value-added IoT security services directly to end users.
"At Avira, we have been at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence innovation for a decade, being the first vendor within the security industry to identify how to apply AI to our field and to do it," says Travis Witteveen, CEO of Avira. "We have a wealth of experience in protecting both the privacy of end-users and the security of their traditional devices. Today we stand alone in the cyber security industry with the introduction of Avira SafeThings, an innovative router app and behavioral threat intelligence platform that secures all IoT devices in the home. We've designed SafeThings to effectively solve the IoT vulnerabilities without being too invasive, expensive, or complicated for the end user -- and we've done this in a way that provides additional benefits for the internet service providers and router manufacturers."
SafeThings is made up of a number of modules, Protection Cloud builds category and individual device profiles to create device management and rule definitions and automatically protect the device functionality. By analyzing metadata on gateway traffic, no invasive deep packet inspections are needed.
The Sentinel module is a software agent positioned at the gateway to each smart home, embedded in the firmware on the router, Sentinel fingerprints IoT devices and collects packet header metadata for AI analysis. After communicating with Protection Cloud, Sentinel enforces protection and communication rules.
A web-based user interface shows users in real time what each IoT device in their network is doing and enables them to see and modify firewall policies and device rules. There's also a Data Forefront API service that lets service providers and OEMs access and control SafeThings functionality, for example to drill down into specific details and control rules and actions to be taken in case of a compromised device.
It also allows for custom plugins to let SafeThings clients offer their end users additional security apps via a branded secure app store. These integrated services such as VPN or parental controls would operate at router level with management in the cloud.
"We see SafeThings as a 'B2B2C' product, providing consumers with the security and privacy protection they need while delivering it to them via the internet service providers and router manufacturers. As an embedded software solution, SafeThings is imminently flexible according to each client’s technical and marketing needs,” adds Witteveen.
Before you plug in and fire up those smart light bulbs, appliances or television you need to prepare your Wi-Fi network to ensure your speeds and security are not affected by the presence of this new equipment.
It is estimated by research firm IHS that the IoT market will grow from an installed base of 15.4 billion devices in 2015 to 30.7 billion devices in 2020 and 75.4 billion in 2025. Our washing machines, coffee pots, thermostats, lights, probably even the toilet and the kitchen sink will all be hooked up to our home Wi-Fi networks. While this will likely lead to more convenience when it comes to home management and maintenance it will also create bottlenecks on home networks slowing down your smart phone, tablet and laptops.
Before you plug in and fire up those smart light bulbs, appliances or television you need to prepare your Wi-Fi network to ensure your speeds and security are not affected by the presence of this new equipment. Most people plug in their Wi-Fi router and never worry about it again, unless they are calling their internet provider to complain about an outage or slow connection. It might not be your provider though, your type of router, where it is placed, the bandwidth of the router and the number of devices you have connecting to it at home could be to blame for your Wi-Fi headaches.
1. Location, location, location. Router location plays a major role in the range and efficiency of a Wi-Fi network. Placing a router in a cabinet or an out of the way room might make your home look less cluttered but this also blocks the signal with doors and walls, plus everything inside your walls, from reaching the areas of your home where you are trying to use your devices. Use a Wi-Fi analytics app to check your Wi-Fi signal strength at each of the locations that you plan to put smart home devices. Be sure that the signal strength is at least 60% at each of those locations. Also check the signal strength where you normally sit to use your laptop, tablet and phone.
2. Flex Wi-Fi muscle. If you have a smaller home and need more coverage look for a high-power router that has more internal and external antennas than your current router model. If you have a larger home, consider using range extenders or a whole home Wi-Fi system.
3. Read the label. When shopping for a new router some of the key terms to look for include AC1900 as a minimum speed and MU-MIMO Technology. While your connection speeds will ultimately be determined by the level of speed you pay for through your internet service provider if you do not have a router equipped to handle the fastest speeds available today you will always experience a slower connection. MU-MIMO is desirable in homes with multiple devices and internet users. Instead of creating a queue of connection requests that are handled in order like a traditional router would do, MU-MIMO routers serve data to more devices at once without limiting speeds. This is critical in homes with smart devices as the total count of devices can add up quickly.
4. Make it ironclad. We all know that hackers have a variety of ways to trick us into giving them access to our digital accounts and methods of stealing account information and passwords from companies we do business with; however, that doesn’t mean we should just give up and let them into our networks freely. You need to make sure your network is secure as possible. If you are deciding between two routers and one offers added layers of security with virus protection and malware detection, for example, pick the one that is focused on security. Also, be sure to set up complex, hard to crack passwords. Never leave your Wi-Fi open without a password. Even guest networks should require one for access. Also, any time you have an issue with your email being hacked or one of your online accounts is breached, change your Wi-Fi password along with all your other accounts, just to be safe.
To recap;
Position your router in an optimal location, as central as possible.
Test your Wi-Fi signal strength with a signal strength tool, be sure to check all locations where smart devices will live.
If weak spots are found, try a High-Power Router or a Range Extender. If you want a seamless network, try a Whole Home Wi-Fi System.
Use a router that supports at least AC1900 speeds and MU-MIMO technology.
Keep your network secure with hard-to-crack passwords and built-in protection from other web threats like Malware.
To stand out from bigger mesh-networking rivals, Eero is unveiling new hardware, a subscription service, and a bet on a new internet-of-things technology.
Eero now has more to sell you than just a better wireless router.
The San Francisco-based startup is launching a $10 per month subscription service plan for its mesh routers, which use multiple connection points to blanket a home in Wi-Fi coverage. The plan, called Eero Plus, will include security and content filtering to start, and will gain other features over time.
Eero is also releasing new routers with better coverage than the previous ones, starting at $299 for an entry-level system. Those new routers even include a tentative step into the smart-home business, with support for a nascent protocol known as Thread.
The overarching goal is one that Eero–which helped jump-start the mesh-network trend that the giants of networking have since embraced–has never shied from talking about. Instead of merely competing on price or networking features in the booming mesh router market, Eero sees Wi-Fi gear as the building blocks of a smarter home. Now the company’s starting to assemble the pieces.
“You look at where the home is going, every home is going to need great connectivity, and ultimately every home’s going to need to have an operating system, something to power all the different experiences,” says Nick Weaver, Eero’s cofounder and CEO. “And our view is, those two things should be the same.”
EERO 2.0
Eero’s new $299 router system consists of two units. The main router, which hooks up to your broadband modem, has the same design as the original Eero, but promises double the bandwidth and range. There are also secondary “Beacon” modules that plug directly into power outlets, and promise 20% to 30% better bandwidth and range than the original Eero. Those Beacons double as nightlights, which flip on automatically when a room turns dark. The hope is that users will be induced to install them out in the open where coverage is best.
Weaver says Eero’s new two-pack should provide coverage that’s equal to or better than its old three-pack, despite being $100 cheaper. For larger homes, Eero will also sell a $399 package with one main router and two Beacons, and a $499 “Pro” package with three of the larger routers. Individual units will cost $149 per Beacon, and $199 per full-size router. (To justify the lack of Ethernet output on the Beacons, Weaver notes that less than a third of customers use their routers for wired connectivity today.)
The new hardware alone should help Eero keep pace with rival mesh systems such as Google Wi-Fi ($299 for a three-pack), Netgear Orbi ($299 for one router and plug-in module), and Linksys Velop ($380 for a two-pack). None of those companies, however, are attempting to sell premium subscriptions alongside their hardware. That’s where Eero hopes to stand out.
“Our view is, over the last year and a half, we’ve pushed out these software updates that have done things like improve network performance, but we’ve also used that to lay the groundwork to build a whole-home operating system where you can put applications on it,” Weaver says.
The Eero Plus service costs $10 per month or $100 per year, and acts like a bouncer for malware, botnets, and phishing attempts at the network level. This applies not just to PCs and phones, but to smart TVs, security cameras, smart door locks, and anything else that’s connected to the network. The idea is that users will stay protected even if device makers fail to patch their own security holes.
Eero is also throwing in a content filter aimed at families with children that can block illegal, violent, or sexually explicit websites, and can force the use of Google SafeSearch, though Weaver notes that this only works with web browsers. Since Eero isn’t picking through individual data packets, it can’t stop your kid from watching, say, R-rated Netflix movies, or receiving graphic text messages. In that sense, Eero’s filter is similar to some free tools that already exist, such as OpenDNS Family Shield, but with easier setup.
In any case, Weaver says those two services are just the beginning for Eero Plus, and he suggested that the company will add more features on a regular basis.
“Think of it [as] the same as Amazon Prime,” he says. “It’s a service that we’ll keep improving and adding to, and expanding the product offering.”
THREADED TOGETHER
While the subscription service might help Eero expand its business in the short term, its new routers also include one rather long-term bet on an emerging smart-home protocol called Thread. Much like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Z-Wave, it’s another way for devices to communicate wirelessly throughout the home. But unlike those well-established protocols, Thread has practically no adoption among device makers right now.
So why is Eero going all-in? Weaver argues that Thread is the best option due to its low power consumption, encryption by default, and ability to scale up to work with dozens of smart home devices.
“It’s really the future of low-power connectivity in the home,” he says. (There’s also a personal connection, in that Chris Boross, Eero’s product manager, previously served as Thread’s president.)
Eero will be first to market with a Thread-certified “border router,” meaning that it can connect Thread devices to Wi-Fi networks and the internet, says Grant Erickson, Thread’s current president. With an anchor product in place, Erickson is optimistic that other device makers will follow, and expects between 20 and 50 Thread-enabled devices by the end of the year. He notes that some devices, such as Nest products, have dormant Thread radios already that they could turn on in future updates. And because Thread uses the same radio technology as the popular ZigBee protocol, existing smart home products with enough storage and memory could add support with just a software update.
“I think what you’re going to see between now and the end of the year is what we like to call a trickle, turning into a creek, turning into a river,” Erickson says.
The early support for Thread may even hint at where Eero is going next. Tom Kerber, an analyst for Parks Associates, notes that one of the main features of Thread is that it’s decentralized. Instead of sending all communications through a single hub, Thread enables a scenario where any device can make decisions and perform computing on behalf of other devices on the network.
“When you talk to the silicon vendors, their long-term view of the connected home, and how it operates, and how devices communicate with each other, Thread is trying to be in alignment with that,” Kerber says.
That kind of thinking also lines up with what Weaver has said in previous interviews. In his view, Eero could become a distributed computing platform, whose router pods provide extra processing power to other devices around the home. In theory, this could allow for smart home devices that are cheaper, faster, and less dependent on the internet for core functions.
While Thread support alone doesn’t make that happen, it could lay the groundwork for a software platform that does. Like everything Eero’s done so far, it’s another building block.
