LateralAccessDevice

LAD Takes Your Home Network Back to Before the Internet

LAD gives you full visiblity into whether your "smart" TV (or something else) is spying on you, your computer is infected with malware, your kids' tablet is secretly serving SPAM... and a way to simply disconnect it. Not only that, by doing so each device, like your laptop, computer, surveillance camera or TV, loses the ability to spy on your other devices. But you gain the ability to see who they are talking to, what they are saying and block it if you don't like what you see. With LAD you can literally see every communication that goes through, every domain name requested and every IP address accessed. The LAD system is designed so that you can see everything, block everything and account for every packet of data.

While we say this tongue-in-cheek, in practical terms it is as if LAD takes you back to before the Internet.

BEFORE THE INTERNET...

• A problem with your computer didn't mean you should check all your bank accounts, as if your wallet had been stolen.
• The TV was just a TV and couldn't watch you.
• Cameras couldn't let the world invade your privacy.
• The phone only transmitted audio and couldn't report on your location or share your data.
• The fridge was just a fridge and none of your appliances could take part in a hacking campaign.

Now everything is connected and a problem with your appliances and electronic gadgets could be a bit of ransomware, could indicate an infringement on your privacy, could signal your unwitting participation in hacking activities, or could result in a problem with your financial life. But how do you know?

While our always-on, interconnected gadgets provide certain benefits and conveniences, sometimes you just need to disconnect. More precisely, most of the time most of the gadgets should be disconnected from the Internet and almost all the time from each other. Except for when you need them to reach out, your computers and gadgets should mind their own business. Even then, they should only connect to the places you need them to, not the whole wild world of the Internet.

LAD takes you back to before the Internet, not temporally, but in the sense of having more control and visibility over what your computers, appliances and other electronic gadgets connect to, when and what information they share with the outside.

BECAUSE...

While you may get malware on your computer, with LAD it's defanged because you can prevent it from connecting to anything (just like before the Internet). While on its own that security camera would be happy to let everyone see everything, either by design or because it got hacked, with LAD you can disconnect it completely from the Internet while retaining its video functions, or control and limit access to it with LAD's selective access controls as you see best. While your camera- and microphone-enhanced smart TV can surreptitiously spy on you and send your data to the manufacturer or third parties (including unsavory ones), with LAD you can restrict its communications to just the ones you choose to allow. Use your computers and gadgets for your own purposes, not theirs. When it's bed time, let it mean bed time for your devices, too. With LAD you set the rules.

LAD is a purpose-built, multi-dimensional tool for network management and control. It incorporates Lateral Firewall, LateralDNS and LateralTime technologies with an emphasis on providing visibility and controlling access, plus packet capture ability. In simpler terms, it is an all-in-one networking system that you run on your own hardware. It converts your computer into the single piece of equipment that you need for accessing the Internet securely. Most users would need just LAD and their modem to connect — no additional firewalls, routers or other networking equipment.

LAD lets you see what is going on throughout your network. It lets you instantly see "under the hood," down to the individual data packets. It lets you monitor, restrict and manage the devices on your network. It lets you record all or portions of your network traffic automatically to your own encrypted storage. If you see something going on that you don't like, you can cut it off and still be able to do the things that you want to do. LAD lets you disconnect the adware, malware and other unwanted communications while retaining the functions and functionalities you have grown to expect. Rather than disconnecting yourself, disconnect THEM.

For tips on getting started, see Getting Started with LAD.