Similar to devices like Eero and Google Wi-Fi, Luma is a Wi-Fi mesh system that launched in 2015, providing users with whole home Wi-Fi, parental controls, and network security scanning. Today, the company announced a new optional subscription model is coming to its mesh router, called `Luma Guardian,` and it introduces a privacy VPN, antivirus software, ISP speed monitoring, and priority tech support for $5 per month.
According to Luma CEO Paul Judge, who spoke with TechCrunch, the reason behind the subscription service is related to all of the security issues that Luma discovered within its customers` networks over the years. Luma Guardian is a way for the company to dedicate time and resources to addressing those issues for the `thousands and thousands` of homes with its mesh Wi-Fi system.
It was also one of the earlier home networking devices to bake IoT security into its system, and as a result, the company spotted security problems in around two-thirds of the `thousands and thousands` of homes that currently sport a Luma.
`WeŽd been blocking them, and the next step was, how do we go to their devices and clean them up?` Judge tells TechCrunch. `How do we install antivirus and clean up the infections on those devices? For 15 years, we built networking and security equipment for companies. You can have the best equipment in the world, but at the end of the day, they had a team to manage it all. Having someone there who pays attention is key.` Luma`s system already comes with a few security measures, including anti-malware, IoT cyber security, and new device alerts that block potentially untrustworthy devices from connecting to your personal Wi-Fi, and Luma Guardian expands upon those features. This includes a `Stealth Mode` that`s enabled through a virtual private network (VPN), allowing users to browse the web privately thanks to encrypted and anonymized web traffic sent between the Luma system, the cloud, and third-party websites.
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