Building on a heritage of industry-leading and award-winning security software, Norton by Symantec today changed the future of digital safety with the announcement of the uniquely-designed Norton Core. Norton Core is a uniquely-designed high-performance Wi-Fi router and will change the way people secure their connected homes.

Today’s home networks, bursting with connected devices such as thermostats, IP cameras, smart televisions and gaming consoles, need exceptional security to protect against malware, viruses, and suspicious activity. Yet, many consumers don’t understand these devices can be an easy on-ramp for hackers to access their home networks. The Norton Cyber Security Insight Report found 68 percent of UAE consumers believe connected devices are made with security in mind, even though Symantec uncovered vulnerabilities in more than 50 different categories of IoT devices.

“We’ve all seen the high-profile attacks in recent months and know that hackers are now exploiting an array of connected devices as a new means to access personal and financial information,” said Fran Rosch, executive vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec. “Norton is extending our digital safety platform in an innovative way – to now include a wireless home router with an atypical artisanal design – to help our customers incorporate security more personally and elegantly into their homes.”

Unlike conventional routers, Norton Core was built to secure and protect connected homes. To provide strong wireless coverage, Norton Core has a unique antenna array inside a geodesic dome of interlocking faces, inspired by defense and weather radars deployed in the extreme reaches of the globe. Norton Core’s unique mathematical design encourages users to place it out in the open, as part of their home décor, helping to provide a strong, unobstructed Wi-Fi signal.

Norton Core comes with convenient and customizable tools allowing users the flexibility to set parameters that work for their home. Parents can easily set limits for each child for daily internet use, filter out inappropriate content, and even pause the entire home network so the family can enjoy dinner together. If an attempt is made to visit an unauthorized site, access will be blocked and parents will receive a notification.

Norton Core is designed with speed, coverage, reliability, ease of use and security as top considerations for all of the notebooks, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, Wi-Fi thermostats, IP cameras and other connected devices in a home.

Norton Core will support 802.11AC Wave-2 Wi-Fi and will be powered by a 1.7GHz dual core processor, with ample memory and flash storage to ensure optimal performance for Wi-Fi and security features. Core will simultaneously transmit at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, so every device connects to the best available band. Norton Core will also support speeds up to 2.5 Gbps , for fast 4K streaming and lag-free gaming. Using MU-MIMO technology, Norton Core can simultaneously stream to multiple devices, providing maximum bandwidth.

With security at the heart of Norton Core, every network packet incoming and outgoing across the home network is scanned for malware, viruses, spam, intrusions, and much more. If a connected device is detected with known vulnerabilities or threats, Norton Core can immediately quarantine the device to a segregated network and send an alert to the user.

To help consumers manage their connected home security, Norton Core is introducing “Security Score.” Users will be able to quickly understand how secure their network and devices are in real-time, and are given tips to strengthen their security settings and improve their score.

Users can manage and monitor their home network directly from their connected mobile devices. With a single tap, the home screen will display the security score, show the number of threats blocked, and the number of devices currently connected to a home network. Using the app, consumers can remotely adjust Wi-Fi settings and block suspicious behavior.

Norton Core makes it easy to set up and create a secure guest network with a few easy clicks. For added protection, guest access can be set for a specific duration, so when it expires, the guest can no longer connect.

Norton Core will be available in two color options: Granite Gray and Titanium Gold. Norton Core will first be available in the U.S., with plans to extend the product globally including through: Al Falak, Sharaf DG and Souq.com in the United Arab Emirates; United Electronics (Extra) in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and Al Ghanim – XCite in Kuwait.

“Norton has a strong pedigree and reputation for providing industry-leading security for consumers,” said Anthony Fernandes, Al Falak. “We are thrilled to partner with Norton so we can offer our customers peace of mind that their home network and all their devices connected to it will be proactively protected, day in and day out, against sophisticated and emerging threats that arise daily. We’re excited that our customers will also benefit from Norton Core’s top-of-line router speed and performance that keeps devices seamlessly connected and internet speeds fast… and in a very stylish design that they won’t have to hide away in a cupboard.”

“Norton is synonymous with cutting-edge protection and that is why we have proudly offered Norton’s robust security solutions to our customers for years,” said Nader Hussain, Smart Products Services Manager, United Electronics Co. (Extra). “We are excited to strengthen our long-lasting partnership so our customers may extend Norton’s award-winning protection to their home network. With market-leading performance to boost Wi-Fi speeds and cover the entire home our customers will be excited that they can seamlessly manage their family’s internet time and the content children access though an easy-to-use and intuitive mobile app. This is a major game-changer for families looking to take back family time.”