In a digital landscape where connected devices are part of everyday life, cybersecurity is a fundamental need. From smart TVs and connected fridges to voice assistants, the average household has between eight and twenty connected devices, all requiring security protection. Cybersecurity leader F-Secure and Genexis have now partnered to create a seamless, network-level security solution for the connected home. The strategic partnership offers telecommunications providers an additional layer of security in Genexis gateways. It makes it simpler and more accessible for consumers to ensure their Wi-Fi experience is protected from cyber threats and cybercrime.
Cybersecurity excellence since 1988
Founded in 1988 in Helsinki, Finland, F-Secure has witnessed and responded to the evolution of cyber threats over three decades. “We’re actually older than the internet,” says Tom Gaffney, Director of Embedded Security at F-Secure, who has spent the last 15 years at the company. F-Secure has continually adapted to the shifting cybersecurity needs and threats, from capturing viruses on floppy disks to countering today’s sophisticated online threats.
Initially, F-Secure focused on securing personal computers, but as cybercrime grew, so did their approach. “About somewhere in the 2000s, criminal gangs entered the arena. They navigated away from real-world currency into cybercrime because the returns are enormous,” Gaffney explains.
Recognizing that cybersecurity must be accessible to a broader audience, F-Secure strategically pivoted to serve consumers via telecommunications providers. This strategy made cybersecurity more widely available and positioned telcos as trusted cybersecurity providers to millions of consumers.
Like-minded partners with a similar approach to home network security
In recent years, F-Secure identified a new challenge: the rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the home. Traditional security software can’t protect every device, especially appliances and IoT devices. “It’s not practical to make antivirus for a connected toaster or TV,” Gaffney notes. This realization has led F-Secure to expand its focus to network-level protections, specifically at the home gateway level.
“There is a general rule of thumb with security that the closer the security solution is to the network or device, the more secure it becomes. And that’s why we felt the home gateway was the perfect place to add that extra layer.” – Tom Gaffney Director of Embedded Security at F-Secure
This is where the partnership with Genexis is a natural fit. Genexis shares F-Secure’s mission of making security simple and accessible. “One of the competitive benefits of working with Genexis is that they are building more than just the gateway. They offer a leading range of products and services for telco providers that make it easier to manage the router, extend security, and provide an optimal Wi-Fi experience,” Gaffney explains.
“In today’s hyper-connected world, securing the home has never been more critical,” says Conny Franzen, Vice President and responsible for the connected home solutions at Genexis. “Our partnership with F-Secure allows us to offer our customers state-of-the-art protection seamlessly integrated into our gateways, setting a new standard for home network security.”
F-Secure Sense embedded in Genexis Gateways
At the heart of this partnership is F-Secure Sense, a software that enables an advanced security solution to be embedded as a container within Genexis’ gateway operating system, IOWRT. Sense offers a comprehensive suite of security features specifically designed for the modern connected home, including:
- Device fingerprinting: This feature identifies each device on the network, transforming cryptic MAC addresses into recognizable names like “Amazon Alexa” or “Canon Printer.” This visibility empowers users to monitor and manage all connected devices, ensuring no unwanted devices have access.
- Browsing protection: Sense verifies the safety of every website a device attempts to access, blocking malicious sites and preventing harmful downloads.
- Privacy protection: By blocking tracking URLs from companies like Google and Facebook, Sense protects consumer privacy.
- Botnet and anomaly detection: Leveraging machine learning, Sense identifies unusual device behavior, such as attempts to connect to unauthorized services, and stops potential botnet or malware threats.
- Family protection: With Sense, parents can manage internet usage, allowing children access only at specific times and blocking inappropriate content.
Value for telecommunications providers and consumers
This partnership also delivers substantial benefits to telecommunications providers and consumers. By bundling Sense into Genexis’ managed Wi-Fi solutions, telcos can provide consumers with a superior, secure Wi-Fi experience. Because it is directly pre-embedded into Genexis’ home gateways, Internet Service Providers can turn it on and provide security protection for their end customers. “Telcos have unique insight into their customers’ network needs, and they’re perfectly positioned to deliver cybersecurity,” says Gaffney. “With Genexis, they can also have visibility into customer pain points, enhancing customer loyalty by providing not just the internet, but secure internet.”
The core of the partnership is about serving the end user.
“Together, F-Secure and Genexis are breaking down barriers to cybersecurity and making it easier for people to secure their connected lives,” concludes Gaffney.
