Cisco makes home networks more secure from the inside out.
And vice versa.

Credit: ⓒAlienCat – Fotolia.com

Today, Cisco announced an important step forward in improving security for home networks. Home Network Defender is designed to stop Web threats before they reach you, by providing antivirus protection right at the router – the network gateway to your home. Think of it as a first line of defense against Internet threats.

Embedded in your Linksys router, Home Network Defender by Trend Micro protects your network from viruses, spyware, malware, and other computer-generated attacks – and provides extensive parental controls as well that can protect your family from inappropriate web sites and manage times your kids ore online. Like the guard bees at the entrance to a hive, Home Network Defender lets the right ones in, and keeps threats out.

Home Network Defender goes hand-in-hand with Network Magic – the award-winning software solution that helps you set up, see, and manage your home network to make it far easier to use -- and far more fun and productive.

But what, exactly, does each product do for you? And how do they work together to make home networking easier, more secure, and more satisfying? The easiest way to understand it is that Home Network Defender helps you stop web threats before they reach you. While Network Magic helps you set up, see, and manage your home network – and protects you from practices inside the home that could make you vulnerable.

Home Network Defender: secure from the outside in
Home Network Defender protects against the kinds of attacks that one computer launches against another. For example, IP-enabled devices like the Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation do not have security software, and are vulnerable points in your home network. Home Network Defender helps stop threats right at the router, before they can find their way in.

Network Magic: secure from the inside out
Network Magic protects home networks against human intruders by establishing a secure, encrypted home network that keeps unauthorized users out. It alerts you to vulnerabilities within your network, and allows you to monitor and set Internet access controls on your kids’ computers.

Network Magic is a great place to start, because it simplifies setup, management, and basic wireless security. New users marvel at how refreshingly simple establishing a home network can be, and how easily the network map helps them visualize, access and control all the devices in their home. More advanced users appreciate Network Magic’s powerful, configurable network settings.

Together, Network Magic and Home Network Defender are out to make your home the media-connected hub of your family hive. From the inside out, and the outside in.