Cisco and Trend Micro collaborate on home Internet security

Cisco and Trend Micro have teamed 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.

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.