Introduction

The Windows Fall Creator team has concluded their research and have finalized their project. In the past two weeks, they have been working on writing their final report about Windows 10’s newest feature: Pick Up Where I Left Off, or PWILO. They are happy to announce that they have finished their report and are excited to reveal their findings. Included below is an excerpt from the Windows Fall Creator team’s final report.

Report Excerpt

The Windows Fall Creator update to Windows 10 was released to the general public in the Fall of 2017, and included a vast number of new features. One of these features was coined “Pick Up Where I Left Off”, or PWILO. This feature is designed to create a smooth transition between devices and power states for the everyday Windows user.  It does this by restoring closed apps and web pages at the convenience of the user. Windows put off releasing this feature with the Fall Creator Update. It was delayed until the Redstone 4 Update that was scheduled for release in Spring of 2018. As a result of this features purpose and the delay in release, the security, storage, and collection of data involved with PWILO is questioned. The Windows Fall Creator Team investigated these aspects of this feature. The goal of this project was to be able to state with some level of certainty the security implications that PWILO includes, as well as the impact it has on system performance.

Conclusion

Over the course of the past 12 weeks, the Windows Fall Creator Team has worked hard to answer the research questions posed in the introduction of their report.  They have also overcome many obstacles that stood in their way. Read the Windows Fall Creator team’s final report to see what struggles they overcame and the conclusions that they drew.  You will also find a sneak peak of what is coming down the pike for future research that will be conducted on PWILO. Follow us on twitter @ChampForensics, Facebook at ChamplainLCDI, and Instagram @ChampForensics.

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Introduction

After many tests on each device, we have reached our conclusions. We’ve discovered which devices are the easiest to use, the best when it comes to security, and the devices you should put in your home. We put each device through the tests we explained in previous blog posts, and you can read them here. After many hours of testing we have learned the work around of the routers.

Norton Core

The Norton Core was an easy router as long as you had a current modem. There were step by step instructions on the app to follow at your own pace. Once the device was set up, the app had a clean look and everything you wanted to see was right at the front. The menu was easy to figure out. The parental controls and different security features worked as Norton claimed they would.

The Dojo

After many weeks of testing, we can finally conclude our research for the Dojo. There were various ups and downs in getting the Dojo to function, but it all worked out in the end. The Dojo uses its unique two factor methodology to help protect the users network. On top of the two factor, the Dojo uses a real time blacklist. This helps protect the users network from any malicious websites. We expected the Dojo to allow us to specify certain websites to block and allow, similar to parental controls. We were surprised when we tested the Dojo to find out that this was a false assumption. The Dojo doesn’t care for the content of the website, it cares for what the website is trying to do to your network. Say you are going to a potentially malicious website. It may have graphic images, but the Dojo would allow it through. If the malicious website was trying to make a connection it wasn’t supposed to, then the Dojo will notify the user and block it. Overall, the Dojo was an interesting device to test.

The Nighthawk

The Netgear Nighthawk R7000P was a strong router all around. It has strong wireless capabilities. It maxed out our test devices unless the parental controls were on. With parental controls or network monitoring enabled, the speed reduces. This is especially obvious on a wired connection, with no wireless bottleneck. On wireless there is a small difference in speed but it is small in comparison to the drop for wired connections.

Without the circle enabled, the Nighthawk produced strong wireless speeds. It was able to maintain connections at more than 50 ft, fast enough to get online and stream video. This makes the R7000P a good fit for a multi-floored home, or one with a large footprint. These are homes where a mesh network would make sense too. However, they are more expensive and complicated. Those solutions would also be more obtrusive as they require many devices around the house for the same coverage. The most impressive thing with this router’s range is that it could be used from outside, with a performance that was better than expected. The Nighthawk R700P is very capable, but it isn’t immune to user error. By connecting to the wrong frequency, not plugging in the antennas, or poor positioning, it will not work at its full potential.

Conclusion

If you’re willing to spend a bit of money and want a device that will be easy to use and keep your home protected, the Norton Core is a good option. The Core is easy to set up and use and will keep your devices and network protected. The Netgear Nighthawk is more difficult to set up and you need two different apps, which can be confusing for some users. While we had some trouble setting up the Dojo, it is a device that can protect your network. If you are looking for a device to protect your network, on top of a router you already own, the Dojo is a good option. Each device is a bit expensive but in the end they all suit your needs.

If you want to see the results of our tests and more detail about the devices look for our final report on our website and follow us on Twitter @ChampForensics, Instagram @ChampForensics, and Facebook @ChamplainLCDI.

 

 

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