EXPRESSVPN LAUNCHES AIRCOVE IN THE UK
Leading consumer
privacy and security company ExpressVPN announces the launch of
ExpressVPN Aircove in the UK, including brand new features to enhance security
and speed for users.
New advanced protection features include Threat Manager (trackers and
malware blocker), an ad blocker, and parental controls
Aircove is the first and only Wi-Fi 6 router that comes with built-in
VPN by default and a user interface tailored for those seeking to protect their
whole family. Aircove was built and designed by the same security experts who
delivered ExpressVPN’s award-winning VPN software. With Aircove, users can
enjoy holistic home security easily, with VPN protection straight out of the
box.
Aircove lets users protect and encrypt every device in their home within
minutes. This includes smart TVs, voice assistants and other smart home devices
that aren’t usually compatible with VPN software. Aircove was first launched in
the US in 2022, and has just become available to UK customers.
This is particularly important considering 81% of Brits now
use smart devices for entertainment purposes, such as Smart TVs and streaming
devices, and close to a third use smart devices for building safety, via smart
cameras, house alarms or smoke detectors. Worryingly, a recent study found that 98% of all IoT
device traffic is unencrypted, potentially allowing attackers to
extract personal and confidential data via baby monitors or other smart home
devices.
Harold Li, Vice President, ExpressVPN, commented: “The
use of smart devices is growing significantly, and according to a
recent study, the average UK home now contains nine connected
devices, with the forecast being that there could be up to 50 billion IoT
devices being used worldwide by 2030. Once you add traditional devices, like
laptops, tablets and phones, into the fold, the amount of devices connected to
your home Wi-Fi network adds up, and it becomes more difficult to keep track of
them and know that every device is protected. That’s why we built Aircove, to
provide users with simple, flexible VPN-protected internet connection across
every room, on every device, for every household member.”
Now with advanced protection
Since its initial launch in the US, Aircove has had multiple product
updates delivered via the auto-update feature. The UK launch will see the
addition of advanced protection
features, which will be gradually rolled out to all Aircove users
over the next few days.
Advanced protection includes Threat Manager (trackers and malware
blocker), an ad blocker, and parental controls (block adult sites and the
internet at certain times). Threat Manager prevents
all devices from communicating with a set of third parties known to track
activity or engage in malicious behaviour. Ad blocker will prevent content
identified as advertising from displaying during browsing.
Aircove already makes it easy to help your kids stay safe on any device
connected to your home Wi-Fi network, the new parental control settings allow
parents to further customize their kids' internet experience. Users can create
a device group for their kids to schedule set time limits, block adult sites
and content. For example, you could block your kids from getting online with
their iPad in the evenings, while still letting them use the family computer
for school work. You can also block adult sites and ads on all devices that
your kids have access to, and protect them from malicious third parties with
Threat Manager.
The new advanced protection features give Aircove users even more
control over their online privacy and how their data is being used.
Other key features and functions
Aircove includes a ‘Device Groups’ feature, that allows users to easily
drag and drop their devices into up to five groups, each with its own VPN
location. This fan favourite feature allows users to easily set certain devices
to specific locations. Want your smart TVs set to a US location? Group them
together and connect to New York. Need to do mobile banking for an account in
France? Put your phone in the Paris group. Want your home printer to work with
a local network? Move it to the no VPN group.
Aircove allows multiple users or devices to use the VPN for different
purposes without compromising the activity of one another.
Aircove was designed with user privacy and security as a top priority.
For example, users can share their home Wi-Fi network with visitors simply by
offering a QR code for scanning—no password sharing required. Aircove also has
an auto-update feature so that users always have the latest features and
security enhancements to keep their network safe and secure.
“We are reinventing digital home protection with Aircove’s plug-and-play
simplicity. It delivers our award-winning software in an easy-to-use router
device, and we’re excited to provide users with another way to leverage the
best of ExpressVPN for their entire home,” Harold Li said.
Third-party audit for greater security and trust
ExpressVPN also invited cybersecurity firm Cure53 to conduct a
penetration test and source code audit of Aircove prior to the launch. The test
was conducted in June and July 2022.
“Cure53 is pleased to report that the ExpressVPN team has established a
first-rate security level for the components in focus following the completion
of this audit,” said Cure53. “Overall, the code organisation and quality
garnered a positive impression, indicating that security was a high priority
during development and a substantial aspect of the software’s life cycle.”
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