Cisco gives routers defence of their very own

Cisco has taken a new tack on the perennial problem of keeping security software updated - by adding security software to Linksys routers.

The company has announced a collaboration with Trend Micro to introduce the Home Network Defender (HND), security software for home network devices including PCs, online game consoles, wi-fi-enabled phones, and personal media players.

The HND software will now feature on Linksys by Cisco Wireless-N routers, meaning users won't even have to install a separate online security suite on each computer within the home network.

The HND software sports safe web surfing capabilities, parental controls, antivirus capabilities, and user-activity reporting to help detect and neutralise web threats such as online fraud, scams and viruses before they enter the home network.

The new HND security system is housed on select Linksys by Cisco Wireless-N routers, currently including the WRT310N and WRT610N models. New units of these routers will be HND-capable out of the box; existing routers can upgrade to the latest firmware to get their hands on the system.

Original article: Cisco integrates Trend Micro security into wireless routers from CNET News.com