Norton Core Router Releases To Secure Your Home IoT Network
Back at CES in January, Norton unveiled an interesting new router called the Core. What makes this router interesting is not only its unique design, but also its stated focus: keeping your network of IoT devices safe. Seven months later, the Norton Core is now shipping out to US customers.
Noting an in-house report that claims Symantec found vulnerabilities in more than 50 home IoT devices and the fact that attacks on IoT networks are on the rise, the Norton calls the Core "an exceptional new security solution that helps protect home networks." There is no connected device limit with this router, allowing you to secure personal machines like your PCs and game consoles along with your entire roster of IoT devices.
Norton Core keeps your network safe through network packet inspection, scanning each packet for threats and then placing devices in a quarantine when it detects a malicious one. That quarantine is an important security aspect of the Core, as it means that one infected IoT device can't infect the rest – a real risk as the number of internet-connect products continues to grow. The Core also encrypts all of the data you send over your network, bolstering security further.
Other features that we'd expect from a high-end router – parental controls and bandwidth optimization, specifically – are present as well. You can also set up guest networks so that visitors to your home can access WiFi without threatening the security of your network. All in all, it sounds like the perfect router for the security-minded, but taking one home will cost you.
The Norton Core can be purchased now from Best Buy, Amazon, and Norton itself for $279.99. We would expect a router like this to sport a high price tag, but you'll also need to pay a monthly subscription to keep things like malware protection in place. While you'll get a year of service for free when you purchase the router, the subscription will cost $9.99 per month after that initial complimentary period ends.