ISSUE FOCUS Securing the Network
Consumers seem increasingly
wary of investing in hardware that
might become obsolete quickly.
Hubs like Revolv, Iris, and Cujo
come to mind, among many others.
They are sold by the thousands and
became paperweights when their
cloud motherships shut down. In
addition, outboard hubs like
Disney’s Circle or Firewalla and
their mission to inspect all network
traffic can become performance
bottlenecks as they try and protect
the home. Router-based solutions
with a cloud engine stand the best
chance of taking hold with
consumers as they continue to
learn more about the importance
of protecting their digital “windows
and doors.”
An emerging trend appears to
center around approaching
cybersecurity as a holistic offering
that views an isolated breach as
interconnected. For example, a compromised
password might trigger identity theft which can
lead to lowered credit scores and bank fraud. As
a result, emerging cybersecurity offerings are
including features such as endpoint protection,
content filtering, password manager, report
38 Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2020
card, ad blocking, threat detection, and identity
protection. Here’s how I would break each of
these features down:
Endpoint Protection
In the spirit of belt and suspenders support,
solutions like Sophos Endpoint Protection and
Windows Defender are still a great way to
deliver peace of mind to desktop and laptop
users. These solutions are distributed, rather
than centrally managed, and can prove tedious
to keep current. As the traditional desktop/
laptop market continues to converge with
mobile over the next few years, I expect to see
more integrated offerings evolve with Apple in
particular being forced into more actively
securing its own operating system. Windows
introduced its Defender product over a decade
ago after succumbing to consumer complaints
of doing little to protect users from online
threats.
Content Filtering
Solutions like Apple’s Screen Time, Google’s
Family Link, and Amazon’s FreeTime all work at
the device level. Newer solutions from ISPs and
companies like Eero, Araknis, and Ruckus
promise to centrally manage these preferences
at the router level, providing a central choke
point. Filtering can include parental controls,
malware, and knowing when a new device logs
onto the network.
Password Manager
With phishing attacks on the rise and
consumers increasingly using multiple
browsers/devices, the need for better secure
password management has never been greater.
Products like Apple’s Keychain or Chrome’s
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