Access control in a mesh network

A first device, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the memory and the processor being configured to:
• determine, while in communication with a second device in a mesh network, an access policy associated with processing communications received from the second device;
• determine that a first communication is received from the second device over an exclusive meshnet connection between the first device and the second device;
• process, based at least in part on the access policy, the first communication received from the second device;
• determine a change in the access policy associated with processing communications received from the second device;
• update firewall settings associated with the first user device the firewall settings indicating the change in the access policy;
• determine that a second communication is received from the second device over the exclusive meshnet connection;
• process, based at least in part on the change in the access policy, the second communication received from the second device in real-time;
• and
• transmit, to the second device, access policy information indicating the change in the access policy to the second device over the exclusive meshnet connection or via a relay server.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store instructions, which when executed by a processor associated with a first device, configure the processor to:

• determine that a first communication is received from the second device over an exclusive meshnet connection between the first device and the second device;
• process, based at least in part on the access policy, the first communication received from the second device;
• determine a change in the access policy associated with processing communications received from the second device;
• update firewall settings associated with the first user device, the firewall settings indicating the change in the access policy;
• determine that a second communication is received from the second device over the exclusive meshnet connection;
• process, based at least in part on the change in the access policy, the second communication received from the second device in real-time;
• and
• transmit, to the second device, access policy information indicating the change in the access policy to the second device over the exclusive meshnet connection or via a relay server.