New Defense to Home Connected Devices

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By 2021, there will be close to 13 connected devices per person in North America, according to Cisco’s estimate, and many consumers don’t have access to the expertise or the tools to keep those devices secure, especially when many of these technologies don’t have keyboards or screens. Symantec reported that the number of attacks against internet of things (IoT) devices is growing exponentially, increasing 600% between 2016 and 2017.
While traditional security products are effective at protecting individual devices like laptops and tablets, there is a growing need for technologies that can protect all the devices on a network at once.
A new service launched by telecommunication giant Comcast monitors, blocks, and informs customers of online threats and provides digital protection for all devices connected to a home network. The Xfinity xFi Advanced Security taps artificial intelligence to analyze Wi-Fi traffic and will block suspicious activity in real time.
The system, which can be activated via the xFi app, was built to protect Comcast’s 15 million customers in this new hyper-connected reality. Using a simple, intuitive user interface, the technology informs customers of blocked threats, and when necessary, provides instructions on how to further secure affected devices.
The service protects all of the devices in a customer’s home with no set-up required, other than turning it on. It is fully integrated into the company’s xFi Gateway, according to venturebeat.com.
Users can review a list of digital security-related actions that were taken each day right from the xFi dashboard – accessible from the mobile app or online. The security protocols are automatically extended to any device that connects to the home network wirelessly or by ethernet.