FAQ: Pangolin - Simple Cybersecurity for Home & Small Business
For the most up-to-date information about the status of our project, check our project updates on Kickstarter!

What is Pangolin?

Pangolin is an edge security device that sits behind your modem or router to protect all of the smart devices connected to your network. It helps prevent malicious hackers from compromising your devices, stealing your information, and invading your privacy.

It also allows you to manage your network easily through a mobile app. This is done through parental controls that allow you to set internet break times and block objectionable content, and also bandwidth controls that let you prioritize bandwidth to the devices that need it most. Pangolin also comes with an anti-buffer bloat feature that helps minimize lag spikes when a network’s bandwidth is being fully utilized.

Last updated: October 08, 2019 05:11

How does Pangolin protect devices in my network?

Pangolin protects your devices through a multitude of ways. Pangolin acts as an intrusion detection and prevention system and we have designed enterprise-grade network security software within Pangolin to scan, prevent, and alert the user of situations involving malware or phishing.

Last updated: October 08, 2019 05:11

How do we know that the Device is secure and has not been tampered with?

We are a team from Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and Singapore. We shared the same exact concerns you did with regards to hardware security and tampering.

We have set up multiple security gates in the process. We worked with an American Manufacturer in order to design and customize our board. The SoC is manufactured by MARVELL and goes through stringent QA QC.

Flashing occurs separately from the process, and checked by our team to make sure the right images are used. Upon completion of assembly on the line, the boards are checked again by our team for tampering through the ARM secure environment and our private server.

Pangolin utilizes DPI for security, if in the event tampering occurs on the devices, we will know through rogue traffic that could be detected on the final QA QC. We take security very seriously, we have set hardware flags in our software to determine also if a board has been tampered with or not. We wanted to go above and beyond to make sure Pangolin is as secure as we could make it.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 17:29

Does Pangolin work in any country?

Yes, Pangolin is not restricted by your location.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

I tried to pledge for the Pangolin, but the price was higher than what was listed.

Hi there,

There are two separate charges that will happen at the end of the campaign. One will be the cost of the device, and the cost of the shipping.

The number has increased because it is combining both device price and shipping cost in the calculation.

For example, if you are trying to claim one of our early bird pledges, which is HKD 1168 (USD 149), the final price is listed as HKD 1309 (USD 167). That’s because the shipping cost has been added in already.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Doesn’t my router have built in security already?

Most routers found in homes today do not stand a chance against current malware attacks on IoT devices. Routers in the home mostly utilize firewall protection based on packet inspection that was developed in the 1990s. Relying on your router for home network security is a dicey proposition because most home routers are actually a critical point of failure because both companies and users often forget to update the firmware.

Additionally, depending on the make and build of your router the range of security measures it offers may vary considerably, and even if that default router provided by your ISP is relatively robust it may require a lot of legwork and network security knowledge on your end before you can come close to securing your home network.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Where does Pangolin ship?

Other than the USA and Canada, we can ship to the following countries and regions: European Union, Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, New Zealand, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, UK, Vietnam, US minor outlying islands

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Why is there such a long period between the end of your campaign and shipping?

We want to ensure that our stringent quality control standards are met during the mass production process. We want to make sure that we can keep our promise of delivery, and so we’re giving a realistic timeframe for our delivery.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Will Pangolin protect my home network against devices already infected by malware?

Yes. Pangolin will be able to detect malware the moment it communicates via network traffic. Pangolin will immediately block the malware from accessing any form of network traffic, effectively halting its communications online. In severe situations, Pangolin will block all network traffic to the infected device and direct the user on how to troubleshoot the situation.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Why would I need Pangolin if I already Antivirus software?

Pangolin protects all devices in your home. This includes IoT devices that typically are unable to utilize AV software. Furthermore, Pangolin is able to identify and block known current malware communication. This protects your data privacy and prevents identity theft. Also, since Pangolin sits separately from your devices, you do not have to restart any of your devices when Pangolin is updated. Pangolin works well in unison with good antivirus software and helps in hardening the users internal network security.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Why should I trust Pangolin to maintain my home device security?

We are a group of white-hats, engineers, and researchers with decades of combined experience in red team ops, information security, hardware, and computer science. We got fed up with the expensive solutions available that don’t work as well as advertised, so we decided to utilize our expertise to create an IoT device that we would want to use in our own homes.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Will TeamRed be able to see my data?

Pangolin only collects metadata and attempts to have as minimal an amount of data pertaining to our users as possible. Furthermore, all traffic to and from the Pangolin is encrypted.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Does Pangolin have parental controls?

Yes, Pangolin will also function as an internet parental control device that can help parents block adult content, monitor internet activity, and set internet break times on any device in the network the Pangolin was deployed in.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Is there a limit to the number of devices Pangolin can protect?

No, Pangolin has the ability to protect all the devices in a typical home or small office.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Will Pangolin slow down my network?

There may be some slowdown based on the features that you enable.

For example, our fastest test network was doing speed tests of around 850 Mbps.

With Pangolin’s security enabled and bandwidth controls off, the download speed dips to 700-750 Mbps.

With the bandwidth controls on, this download speed goes down to 500-600 Mbps.

However, what we’ve done is allow you to pick and choose which network management features to enable, giving you the choice between using some of our advanced features or focusing on keeping your download speeds up.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Does Pangolin examine https/ssl/tls traffic?

No it doesn’t. We are committed to data protection and privacy and want your encrypted traffic to remain private.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

What’s with the name Pangolin?

The pangolin is an exotic, armored mammal found in Asia as well as parts of Africa that can curl into a nearly impenetrable ball of extremely tough scales when threatened. It is a creature that embodies our passion for providing the best security for our homes and loved ones.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Can Pangolin be hacked?

At TeamRed we live by the philosophy that there is no panacea in network protection. We believe that there is always the possibility for anything to be hacked with enough creativity and/or effort, and this philosophy is what drives us to continuously develop the best possible network security solutions. This is also why we will proactively keep these defenses up-to-date as the network security landscape changes.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

What does IoT mean?

IoT stands for the Internet of Things, or the Intelligence of Things. They are devices in your home or office like your smart light switches, smart TV, smart appliances, and smart security camera systems. These IoT devices are all connected online in order for you to access and control.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Why are IoT devices susceptible?

Many IoT devices lack basic security protocols. Their always-on connection to your home network also brings about the need for a security solution that can stop hackers and other malicious actors 24 hours a day.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Does Pangolin allow whitelisting?

We don’t have manual ip blocking/whitelisting. At the moment, it only blocks blacklisted sites so if it’s not blacklisted, it’s allowed. Blacklist blocking can also be turned off if it’s being a nuisance. The Pangolin is relatively permissive and doesn’t default to blocking unrecognized sources/destinations if it doesn’t find something explicitly dangerous about it (like being on a blacklist).

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Do you support mesh networks?

We support most mesh networks. However, there are certain mesh devices like the original google mesh nodes that we are unable to support. The newer google mesh devices, the ones that have been patched, are supported.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

What can Pangolin do for gamers?

Pangolin was built with gamers in mind. One of its key features helps deal with lag spikes. We call this anti buffer bloat, a feature that combines clever use of packet queueing algorithms and bandwidth reservation in order to minimize these lag spikes.

Last updated: October 10, 2019 18:21

Will you be providing updates to the device’s software?

Yes, we will be providing updates to your Pangolin throughout its life cycle. Kickstarter backers receive a complimentary lifetime subscription fee.

Last updated: October 26, 2019 19:22

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