Home :: Project:Turris

Internet
Besides the data you want, there is also malicious traffic trying to get into your network from the internet. It comes usually from automatic robots or malware infected computers, and is very frequent. Its goal is to infect devices inside your network.
Router Turris
You home router is the gateway between your network and internet, and all traffic passes through it. The Turris router is capable of monitoring this traffic and detecting suspicious data flows.
Your network
Your home network probably contains many devices with different level of resistance to outside attacks. Besides standard computers, which may be regularly updated and contain latest anti-malware software, there are many more devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, NAS boxes or network printers.
Turris central
When the Turris router detects suspicious traffic, it sends its fingerprint into the project Turris central. The information is evaluated there and compared with data from other Turris routers. In case the traffic is evaluated as malicious, a protection is prepared.
Other users
When a new security fix is created in the Turris central, it is then automatically distributed to all Turris routers. Thus the users help protect each other by timely sharing information about new security threats.

Project Turris is a service helping to protect its user's home network with the help of a special router. It is a not-for-profit research project of CZ.NIC, z. s. p. o., the registry of the Czech national top level domain .CZ.

About the project

The name of the Turris project is based on a Latin word for tower - building often used to warn of approaching danger.

The Turris router can, besides serving as a normal home router, also analyze the traffic between the internet and the home network, and identify suspicious data flows. Similarly to a watchtower, it then alerts the Turris central of a possible attack. At the system headquarters, it is then possible to compare data from many connected Turris routers and asses the security status of detected traffic.

In case an attack is detected, corresponding updates are prepared and distributed to the whole Turris network, thus helping to protect all its users.

Due to the research nature of the project, we rented the device to selected users for a symbolic price of one Czech crown. In order to participate in the project, the user is required to commit to using the Turris router as the main internet gateway for his network for a specified period of time, and not to intervene in data collection. This part of the project ran between the years 2013 and 2015 and we don’t distribute any additional devices at this point.

Another possibility how to join the research is to buy Turris Omnia. Turris Omnia is our new router which is built on experience we collected with the Turris routers and the Turris Project as a whole. It has state of the art hardware but uses the same operating system as the Turris routers with automatic updates and other features. For more information check omnia.turris.cz.

Features

Hardware

Because we do not want to slow down your internet access by security analysis, we are developing our own high-performance hardware for the Turris router. It allows for protecting a home network without sacrificing transfer speed.

Software

The Turris router contains a modern operating system with remote updates and an innovative system for security analysis of network traffic.

Security

Enhancing security of your network is the main goal of our project. Besides the passive protection offered by a secure operating system, there is the additional benefit of distributed adaptive firewall.

Privacy

Much attention was paid to protection of privacy and sensitive data. More information about specific measures is available on the linked page.

Licensing

Openness is important for us. Therefore all the software running on the Turris router is released under a free license. In fact, even the hardware design is open.

About CZ.NIC

CZ.NIC, z. s. p. o., is a not-for-profit association operating the Czech national top level domain .CZ. Besides domain registration, our company focuses its activities on beneficial community projects, mostly in the area of network technologies.

CZ.NIC