Comcast said yesterday that it will offer xFi Advanced Security free to internet customers who lease an xFi gateway. The security offering is designed to protect internet connected devices from cyberthreats.
The company estimates the value of the feature at $72 annually. Eligible new customers will receive the feature immediately upon activating an xFi Gateway. xFi Advanced Security will begin rolling out to 18 million existing eligible xFi customers over the coming weeks.
To activate the feature, customers log into xFi via the mobile app or online, which then activates protection for all wired and WiFi connected devices in the home; including smart TVs or thermostats, or devices without keyboards or screens like security cameras or smart speakers.
Among Advanced Security’s features:
- A daily list of digital security-related actions that were taken each day.
- Preventing accidental visits to malicious sites and becoming a victim of phishing attacks.
- Blocking remote access to smart devices from dangerous/unknown sources.
- Real-time monitoring of devices and delivering alerts when devices are behaving in unusual ways that could indicate a network threat.
“We want you to have the peace of mind to know that in just a few minutes all the devices you connect in the home, and the people that use them, are safe and secured,” said Dana Strong, President of Xfinity Consumer Services, Comcast, in a prepared statement. “Our customers asked for a better way to stream content and we answered with Xfinity Flex for free. Now, we’re giving them the protection they asked for with Advanced Security. That’s an incredible amount of value for our internet customers, and we’re just getting started.”
The feature was launched in January 2019 as an optional $5.99 upgrade. It uses AI and machine learning technology to monitor and analyze WiFi traffic in the home and automatically blocks identified suspicious activity in real-time.
