Home Network Defender includes parental controls, virus protection and network activity reporting

February 18, 2009

6 Min Read

PRESS RELEASE

February 17, 2009 -- Cisco and Trend Micro have teamed up to help keep families safe by integrating Trend Micro's Internet security software into Linksys by Cisco wireless routers. This multi-layered security offering helps provide network protection for family PCs and other home-network devices, such as online game consoles, Wi-Fi enabled phones, and personal media players. This collaboration has led to the introduction of Home Network Defender, an Internet security service from Trend Micro that features Safe Web Surfing capabilities, parental controls, and user-activity reporting embedded on select Linksys by Cisco wireless-N home routers. Home Network Defender helps to detect and eradicate Web threats such as online fraud, scams, phishing schemes, predators and viruses before they enter the home network.

Facts/Highlights: With tools from Trend Micro to identify malicious Web sites and content at the router level, Home Network Defender redefines online freedom and security for the entire family, helping parents to manage individual network activity from both within and outside the home. Features of Home Network Defender include:

Safe Web Surfing " Helps protect against Web threats by evaluating security risk in real-time and blocks sites and links identified as malicious. By choosing one of three security level settings, Home Network Defender helps users reduce online phishing scams that try to steal credit card or bank account numbers. Continuous updates identify the latest risky Web sites--and even legitimate ones that contain threats. This is especially effective for game consoles with Internet browsers that on their own may have weak Internet security.

Parental Controls "Help family members view appropriate Web site content based on the customized rules set by the parent, and can even restrict access at specific times. Unlike other products with some of these features, Home Network Defender acts at the router level, outsmarting even the most tech-savvy kids from altering controls on their PCs while helping to protect Internet users from inadvertently visiting compromising sites or revealing personal information to predators who operate over the Web.

Network Activity Reports " Allow parents or network administrators to monitor network devices and activities, prompting instant detection and prevention of intruding devices on the home or small-business network, as well as reports of parental control violations by users. Administrators can view their network reports from anywhere in the world with their unique password.

Antivirus— Includes four licenses of Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware to complement the Internet security protection on the routers, providing a true multi-layer protection solution.

Less complex to use—With Internet security software housed directly on the router, there is no need to install it separately on each PC. Linksys Easy Link Advisor (LELA) application assists in setup of parental controls on a device by simply clicking on graphical icon of the device and providing the desired settings.

Supporting Quotes "Our leading Internet security software paired with top-of-the-line Linksys by Cisco routers delivers a powerful solution for home network security," said Carol Carpenter, vice president of global marketing for Trend Micro's consumer business unit. "We are pleased to be able to offer smart and effective Internet protection for the home so that families can receive the strongest real-time protection against the latest Internet threats while enjoying online activities to the fullest."

"Home Network Defender helps provide revolutionary, not evolutionary, protection from Internet threats before they reach the home while increasing awareness for parents of the activities specific to each family member. This product helps protect not only PCs but any connected device and is a must for anyone concerned with Internet safety for their family," said Greg Memo, Vice President and General Manager, Products, Cisco Consumer Business Group.

Market Watch The growth of Web threats has increased by nearly 2000 percent since 2005, 50 percent of which were downloaded by users surfing unknown or malicious Web sites. (Trend Micro Threat Research, 2009)

34 percent of teens said they experienced unwanted exposure to pornography while online, 40 percent of which came from online searches, 17 percent from links within other Web sites, 12 percent from mistyping Web addresses. (Wolak, Finkelhor, Mitchell 2006)

79 percent of teens say they use the Internet with little parental supervision. (Childnet International, 2007)

Pricing and Availability The Home Network Defender is a software service that is housed on select Linksys by Cisco wireless-N routers and helps provide Internet security management and protection on IP-enabled devices on a home network. MSRP will be US$59.99 for the yearly service with a 30-day complimentary trial. For the next 60 days, there will be a special price of US$49.99. Existing Linksys by Cisco router users can also take advantage of this offer and update their firmware currently by going to: http://www.linksysbycisco.com/LinksysByCisco/en/promo/Home-Network-Defender

Home Network Defender will be available for select N routers and is embedded in new WRT310N and WRT610N Linksys by Cisco routers, with a 30-day complimentary trial. This price and the router model availability are specific to North America.

Supporting Resources Join Cisco and Trend Micro's Webcast at 9 am PST on the date of launch, February 17, 2009, to discuss the importance of Internet security in helping to keep children safe from online predators. Executives from both companies will be joined by Art Wolinsky, Educational Technology Director for Wired Safety. https://ciscosales.webex.com/ciscosales/j.php?ED=116089952&UID=0&PW=9afa27124e51555e4a575c535e03

Become a Facebook fan of Cisco "Digital Cribs" and "LinksysbyCisco" and invite your friends to join the conversation.

Part of Trend Micro's Global Citizenship Program, the Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids and Families program is intended to raise awareness and provide education to parents, teachers, and youth so that young people can use the Internet safely and to its fullest potential. The program is designed to do this through partnerships, volunteerism, and grants and donations. For more information, please visit www.trendmicro.com/go/safety.

About Cisco Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco's vision for the consumer is to enable people to live a connected life that is more personal, more social, and more visual. More information about Cisco and its line of consumer products can be found at www.linksysbycisco.com and www.cisco.com/consumer.

About Trend Micro Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security, focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and consumers. A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity, personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the newest Web threats. Visit TrendWatch at www.trendmicro.com/go/trendwatch to learn more about the latest threats. Trend Micro's flexible solutions, available in multiple form factors, are supported 24/7 by threat intelligence experts around the globe. Many of these solutions are powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, a next generation cloud-client content security infrastructure designed to protect customers from Web threats. A transnational company, with headquarters in Tokyo, Trend Micro's trusted security solutions are sold through its business partners worldwide. Please visit www.trendmicro.com.

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