Netgear has announced new technology that adds more protective capabilities with advanced security and threat detection for the smart connected home.

The enhanced Netgear Armor built into most Orbi and Nighthawk routers provides a “protective bubble” for connected devices in a home network, helping consumers stay safe from hackers, malware and viruses.

Threats traditionally associated with PCs are now present in nearly all connected devices such as Smart TVs, smart thermostats, light switches, home theatre systems, security cameras, game consoles, smart speakers, streaming players, tablets, computers, smartphones and other smart home gadgets. 

According to Bitdefender’s 2020 Consumer Threat Landscape Report, the number of vulnerabilities in Smart TVs increased by 335% and the number of vulnerabilities in IP cameras almost doubled between 2019 and 2020.

While about 80% of Americans have some kind of antivirus software installed on their computers, the 25 or more connected devices in a typical smart home remain vulnerable to threats that can provide attackers with a backdoor into home networks, leading to severe usability and performance issues as well as theft of sensitive personal data such as passwords, credit card information and social security numbers.

Connected devices from different manufacturers increase the chance of not only incoming attacks, but also outgoing threats such as a home security camera trying to send data to a rogue site. To help thwart such threats, Netgear is adding new capabilities to its flagship security offering, providing simple and comprehensive network and device protection. 

Unlike traditional endpoint antivirus products, Netgear Armor is built into the router to monitor activity going to and from the Internet, protecting the devices on your network and eliminating the need and cost for multiple security subscriptions or software. 

“With the explosion of connected devices in the home from baby monitors to smart TVs, all of which can be compromised, we understand how overwhelming it can be for individuals and families to know what to do to keep themselves and their information safe,” said David Henry, President & GM of Connected Home Products and Services at Netgear. “We realized that a new type of security solution was needed and with this version of Netgear Armor, we take worry out of the equation by providing a comprehensive ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ service.”

Key selling points:

• Sensitive Data Protection:  Blocks attempts to send your login and banking info, SSNs, and more over unencrypted connections.
• Anomaly Detection: Machine learning algorithm monitors and learns the usual behaviour of the user’s connected devices and blocks any activity that’s out of the ordinary.
• Brute Force Protection:  Prevents connected smart devices from bots that attempt to compromise the user’s passwords with unlimited concerted attempts.

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