Secure communications with internet-enabled devices

A method comprising:

• (a) receiving at a first device a request from a second device for an access to a third device;
• (b) evaluating, by the first device, whether the second device is allowed to directly access the third device;
• (c) after performing (b), in accordance with the second device being allowed to directly access the third device, providing, by the first device, the second device with one or more network identifiers of the third device, thereby enabling the second device to connect to the third device while bypassing the first device;
• and
• (d) after performing (b), in accordance with the second device not being allowed to directly access the third device, providing the second device with one more network identifiers enabling the second device to connect to the third device through a fourth device using a connection between the third device and the fourth device, thereby enabling the second device to connect to the third device without using the one or more network identifiers of the third device.

A first computer having a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program having computer executable instructions for causing a first computer to:

• receive a request from a second computer to provide one or more first network identifiers for establishing a data connection to a third computer in an external network, wherein the first computer and the second computer are coupled to the external network;
• evaluate whether the second computer is authorized to initiate direct inbound connections to the third computer;
• in accordance with the second computer being authorized to initiate direct inbound connections to the third computer, provide to the second computer the one or more first network identifiers;
• in accordance with the second computer not being authorized to initiate direct inbound connections to the third computer, provide to the second computer, one or more second network identifiers for establishing a data connection to a fourth computer that forwards traffic to the third computer via a connection with the third computer without transmitting the one or more first network identifiers to the second computer.