The CZ.NIC association introduces a new hardware-based firewall that everybody can install.
The CZ.NIC association, the administrator of the Czech national domain, introduced today a unique firewall from the open-source Turris family. The innovation is called the Turris Shield and offers users a unique security system for all household devices connected to the internet. Users do not need to be IT experts or insiders to use it. Turris Shield is connected before a standard home Wi-fi router, so the whole household or office becomes secure. Owners of routers with an integrated modem can use the Turris Shield behind the router and add any Wi-Fi AP. After the first launch, the administrator’s password must be set and Turris Shield will then immediately test its vulnerability. From that moment, the whole network is protected by the fastest adaptive firewall on the market. The firewall can respond to threats within seconds. On top of this, Turris Shield has an integrated Open VPN support to facilitate work from home and increase security when travelling. The hardware-based firewall Turris Shield can be purchased in European Amazon stores for USD 109.
“The mission of the Turris project is to create internet immunity and protect the most essential part of any network: the router,” says Michal Hrušecký from the Turris development team. “The Turris Omnia router was our first product. Then we introduced the modular Turris MOX intended for the most demanding tech fans. Now we want to offer a prime security system also to normal users who don’t want to play with their network, but who need top protection. This is why we developed Turris Shield.“
Every month more than three thousand attacks are made on average on every router or server all over the world. Some attacks are averted thanks to up-to-date and well secured software, but many attacks are unfortunately successful. If successful, the attacker takes control over your device and gets access to user data, passwords and often also money. The hardware firewall Turris Shield will reliably prevent attackers from taking control over the network and connected devices.
Standard routers rely on updates installed by the user who however usually ignore this process, because they simply don’t know there is a new release. This is however a different case with Turris Omnia and Turris MOX routers and now also the Turris Shield firewall. They take care of their security updates themselves. The world-wide network of Turris devices also cooperates on the detection and elimination of new internet threats and can respond within two seconds thanks to the Sentinel system. An attack on a Turris device in, say, Australia is therefore instantly detected on all Turris devices all over the world. And this is a big advantage for owners of normal routers who have easily upgraded them with the unique Czech Turris Shield firewall.
Virtual private network for everyone
But there is more in the Turris Shield than an adaptive firewall. It can also run Open VPN (Virtual Private Network) in the server and client modes. This means that websites that would otherwise discriminate the user due to his/her geographical location now become accessible. Or, from the other perspective, safe access to the home network is permitted from any location. Both businesses and people who need to connect to their network when traveling or doing home office will appreciate this function. Thanks to encrypted VPN, Turris Shield will ensure anonymity and the desired security in all instances.
The invisible heroes of the Turris project
The user community involved in this project is one of the cornerstones of this unparalleled security system of all Turris routers and devices. They feed in precious data to the Turris command centre which can then respond to the most diverse threats and protect all users involved.
“Thousands of internet users from all over the world are involved in the Turris project. It is thanks to their help that every day we can detect hundreds of attackers who want to take control over other people’s routers,“ said Martin Prudek, the developer of the Turris firewall system. “We believe that Turris Shield will contribute to even more use of the Turris OS system and more data about wannabe attackers can be collected for higher security. It will also help those who lack the capacity for regular care of their network.“
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