Firewalla: Security Starts With You First

Many of you have asked us how Firewalla can protect your cyberspace. Instead of just giving you tips and how-to's on features, our founders think it is important to emphasize the following first:

This is where cybersecurity starts. It is not with technology, but you! Everything starts with your security awareness. Firewalla (and other technologies) are here to support you. 

Nothing can protect you if you like to leave your doors open ... or don't have a habit of locking your doors.

Think Before You Click

This is the best way to prevent malware/phishing type of attacks. Do you really need to click that link? Do you know the sender? Check the 'from' email address and see if it is normal or not ...     

In case you accidentally clicked on anything, or even before clicking, antivirus software or network IDS should be able to detect problems with the click. Firewalla, for example, will be able to capture all network requests, and if Firewalla has the signature, Firewalla will be able to block or at least alarm you of the potential problem.  If the malware/problem does not rely on the network, your antivirus software should be able to pick up the problem.  

Think Before Giving Personal Information

Use common sense, and give the least amount of information to online services. Watch out for unusual requests. If people are asking for your birthday to buy a cabbage, do you really want to give them the info? Always ask the question, is the information being asked necessary and reasonable?

Keep Your Software Up to Date

Software is written by engineers, and engineers are not perfect. If the software is perfect, there won't be viruses attacking through them. Software patches and updates often fix these problems (bugs, vulnerabilities...). So keeping your device up to date is most important. Modern software like Firewalla will automatically update itself without disturbing your experience. 

Use Smart and Strong passwords

Passwords need to be strong, so it is harder for people or machines to guess, and they should not be shared widely. Use different passwords for different places. For example, your email account has one password, and your Ring camera has another one. This way, if your email is hacked, they can't get into your Ring camera.

Choose Multifactor Authentication when there is an option. It allows you to authenticate with another device you own when logging in from a device unknown/new to the system. This helps prove that you are the true owner of the account and prevents hacker access in case your password is compromised.

Firewalla system uses PKI to authenticate access to the device. It is a much stronger authentication mechanism than the ID/password.   The private key lives inside your phone and is fully secured by your phone hardware.