Super Simple Security Principles

Super Simple Security Principles


57. How Firewalls Protect You And What You Might Be Missing

April 04, 2025

Helpful episodes to listen to first

Don't Answer the Phone

Bulletproof My Home

Home Network Attacks From Within

Questions we answer in this episode

What is a firewall?

Why do I need more than one firewall?

Which device already has a firewall enabled?

What kinds of devices have an increased need for a firewall?

Episode summary

Firewalls in buildings stop fire from spreading.

Firewalls on computers do something similar: they stop malware from spreading.

Your router has a firewall that blocks threats from the internet before they reach your home network.

But what if the malware is already inside your network?

For that, you need a firewall on each of your computers.

These are especially vital for laptops, which often connect to public wifi.

And here’s the secret weapon almost nobody talks about: outbound firewalls.

They’re a unique and powerful extra layer of protection - and wildly underrated.

Call to action

Please verify that the firewall is turned on for each computer in your home.

Links

Change Firewall settings on Mac

How to turn on Windows firewall

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