Google has taken to its Security Blog to talk up the security features that are available to its OnHub network routers, because let’s be honest, security has become a big issue when browsing and buying from the internet nowadays.
The OnHub routers have been available for a little while now, almost 12 months to be exact, and Google thought it was time to finally talk about the inbuilt security features the network routers offer to anyone with an OnHub compared to just talking about how easy it is to set up and the speed which is what mainly is used to sell a device.
OnHub it seems contains industry leading security defences and technology that will in essence, ensure your information like passwords, credit card details and generally safe browsing on the internet giving you peace of mind
Defense in Depth
There are many elements that go into creating and providing such high security defences and the OnHub is no stranger to these elements.
These elements include:
- Auto updates
- Verified Boot
- Cloud administration
- Process isolation
With these elements embedded within OnHub it can ensure that your OnHub runs the latest, most strongest and best industry leading security and privacy software possible giving you at least some peace of mind that you are protected nonetheless.
Hardware Provenance
By ensuring that the OnHub security team works to track the origins of all hardware, software, and firmware that goes into OnHub, including those from third-party sources. However, should a vulnerability be found, OnHub security will find it fix its as soon as possible.
The same team also ensures before an OnHub is sent out for shipping, that tests be completed by the security team such as undertaking comprehensive code reviews of critical attack surfaces is completed to ensure that security vulnerabilities are not found if so are fixed immediately or another OnHub sent out to ensure every OnHub sent out to customers are working 100%.
Cloud Intelligence
Google uses anonymised metrics from the entire fleet of OnHub’s to quickly detect and counter potential threats. An example of this would be that normally a router’s DNS is often a target of attacks and therefore Google watches the DNS settings on all OnHub routers for activity that could indicate a security compromise.
Basically this is what Google terms as ‘Cloud Intelligence’ a benefit that Google is uniquely able to deliver through the the Google cloud ensuring your OnHub and your are always protected when in use.
Security Improvements, Automatically
Lastly, OnHub participates in Google’s Vulnerability Reward Program, which was started way back 6 years ago in 2010 where to honor all of the cutting-edge external contributions that help Google keep OnHub users safe.
With OnHub partaking in this program, should an OnHub user find a qualifying bug in OnHub’s security, the user could be rewarded anything between $100USD to $20,000.
There are some terms and conditions when it comes to this and you would need to head over to Google’s Vulnerability Reward Program page to read the T&C’s directly.
You can find out in-depth what OnHub security measures have been inbuilt to your OnHub by going to the Google Security blog page here to read more about it.
Do you have an OnHub? If you do, what do you think about all this security protection built into it?
I have to say the onhub appealed to me when it launched. However I wasn’t in the market for an upgrade so I didn’t make a purchase. That said, there’s been a lot of rumbling about Google seemingly not following through on its promised feature updates. If I’d bought one I’d be irked and the cynic tells me this announcement is just a way to placate cranky onhub owners. With Google rumoured to launch a new Wifi router soon, what does the future hold for the onhub?