Microsoft Unveils Tools For Secure Home NetworkingMicrosoft Unveils Tools For Secure Home Networking

One day after the federal government warned consumers that cybersecurity begins at home, Microsoft introduced a series of broadband networking products that it says let consumers extend their broadband connections to multiple in-house devices without compromising security.

Microsoft's Broadband Networking line lets consumers use a single broadband connection to link home PCs and digital-entertainment devices using a Wi-Fi (802.11b) connection emanating from a base station.

To help prevent intruders from tapping into the network and, from there, into the consumer's ISP service, the system's 128-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy encryption is turned on by default. This is a change in philosophy for Microsoft, which previously has let the user activate all settings. The same situation is true for the upcoming .Net server, in which more security features will be active by default. Additionally, self-configuration in Broadband Networking is designed to help deter hackers while letting authorized users play games or communicate over the network. Because the system configures itself automatically, there's less of a chance that an easily hijacked network protocol will be chosen for the system. The base station also features a built-in firewall.

The federal government's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace--a draft released Wednesday--noted that while large companies employ experts and spend millions to protect data, less-sophisticated home users with broadband connections may be unwittingly providing hackers easy access to public and private networks. "Even the home user and small business can be damaged severely and, in some cases, be used to damage others," the draft notes. The document also urges home broadband users to protect their networks with firewalls.

While Microsoft's new home-networking tools emphasize security, they also could help the company extend its footprint beyond the home office or den. Microsoft ultimately hopes that easy-to-use home networks will allow consumers to use their computers as digital capture-and-storage units from which they can export content to digital TVs, stereos, and game devices such as the Xbox. "This is definitely a step in that direction," says Lindy Lesperance, a Technology Business Research analyst. She adds that the Xbox Live game service--slated for a fall debut--will by default bring broadband into homes. Says Lesperance, "We think that's also going to be a portal for all kinds of other content."