Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson warned of worrying privacy clauses in smart devices in a recent episode of the "Beyond Connected" podcast.
Most of us think of home Wi-Fi as the invisible connection that lets a laptop stream a movie, a phone display photos and a printer work from across the room. In practice, it is also the meeting point for many devices, accounts and types of information. A typical home network may include computers, phones, tablets, smart speakers, televisions, cameras, printers and connected appliances. These devices regularly send and receive data.
Some of that traffic is expected, such as opening a bank website or downloading a software update. Other traffic may be unwanted or suspicious. That is where a firewall comes in. A firewall is a security system that checks network connections and applies rules about which traffic should be allowed. Think of it as a doorman for digital connections. It does not know everything about every visitor, but it can help prevent some unexpected traffic from reaching a device.
Understanding how firewalls work, where they fit and what they can and cannot protect against can help you make smarter choices about securing your home Wi-Fi.
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A firewall can help protect home Wi-Fi by controlling network connections, but it works best alongside updated software, strong passwords and backups. (Gavin Roberts/MacFormat Magazine/Future via Getty Images)
Your router is the box that connects your home to the internet and sends Wi-Fi throughout the house. Many home routers include a built-in firewall. Because it sits at the gateway, this router firewall can help protect devices connected to your home network from certain unwanted connections coming from the internet.
A router firewall is useful because one device can provide a basic layer of protection for the network as a whole. It can help reduce direct exposure for computers, phones and other connected equipment. However, its settings and capabilities depend on the router model, its software and how it was configured.
A software firewall runs on an individual device, such as a Windows PC or Mac. It can add another layer of awareness and control at the device level. This becomes especially useful when a laptop leaves home, connects to a different network or needs to distinguish between applications running on that computer.
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The two types can work together. A router firewall and a software firewall serve different purposes. The router helps guard the network's front door, while the software firewall helps watch activity involving a particular device.
The terms sound technical, but the basic idea is straightforward.
