Security in the Digital Age: A Hometown Rant Guide

Hey there all you renters, landlords, property owners and managers! We’re back! Did you miss us? For the past month or so we’ve been down due to an ongoing brute force attempt to crack our WordPress page, but we remain unintimidated in the face of such aggression, defiant in the face of the digital terrorists.

Since we’ve been the target of malicious internet activity, this week we’re talking about online security to help you keep the network in your house, apartment, condo, duplex or other rental property secure, which will help keep your information safe from all those who would seek to steal it.

As a landlord or property owner, chances are you won’t be the one who actually sets up the network, unless you manage an entire apartment complex or other type of property that provides communal WiFi. If you do have such an arrangement, you’ll definitely want to secure the network with a password, and if your building is large enough, you may even want to consider hiring somebody tech savvy to set up a system that allows each unit to have its own password.

As a tenant, chances are it’ll be up to you to get your house, condo, apartment or duplex online, which will entail calling one of the service providers in your area. Some work better in certain places than others, so you might consider doing some research as to who is the most popular/best functioning provider in your area. Service providers usually offer a variety of plans as well, which is something else to consider once you’ve decided who you want to go with. Things to keep in mind when making your choice include the number of people who are going to be living in your house, apartment, condo or duplex, how many of those people you expect to be online at once, and what you all are going to be doing once you get here. If you mostly read articles and look at pictures, you probably don’t need the pro-gamer all-star package that usually costs quite a bit more.

Most providers make it pretty easy to put a password on your network–routers these days often have a setup function that will prompt you to take at least the most basic precautions towards protecting your network, or at least keeping the neighbors from freeloading off your signal.

Another thing to keep in mind is that many online criminals rely less on breaking into systems to acquire information, and more by convincing a legitimate user to give out access information, a practice commonly known as phishing. Never give sensitive information to anybody online unless you’re absolutely sure they are who they say they are, and remember, if a website tells you that you’ve won something, it’s probably a lie.

Seriously though, congratulations! You’re our millionth reader! Send us your rental questions, comments, concerns, love letters and hate mail to claim your free prize!

 

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