Security is important for us all to consider in the rental market, but, specifically; have you thought about IT security? Tenants, how can you keep your computer/laptop/tablet safe, protect your data and files and stay safe online? Here are our tips and suggestions to help you:
Protecting your data, photos, documents, music and files
- Passwords! When creating a password make sure it is strong and unique. Use letters, numbers and special characters to alter a word that you can easily remember. For example use $ instead of S or £ instead of E.
- Make sure you use different passwords and change them regularly and don’t write them all down! If you have trouble remembering your passwords, consider using a password manager such as LastPass.
- Make sure you always backup your laptop. An external hard drive or cloud storage solution (eg Dropbox, OneDrive, GoogleDrive) will ensure that your data and files won’t be lost should your machine fail, get lost or stolen.
- Don’t leave your computer where others could access it, never leave your device logged on in a public place and don’t share your logon details with anyone else.
- Use secure connections when online and make sure the websites you visit are legit and secure.
Protecting your hardware
- Don’t leave your computer lying around, make sure it’s out of sight when you’re not using it.
- Always lock your door and make sure windows are closed if you leave your property, if your room has a lock make sure you use it when you leave the room.
- Consider buying a cable lock to use when you leave your computer in your room or flat.
- Take photos of your devices and note any serial numbers. Keep receipts to prove you had bought the item should it be lost or stolen.
- Install ‘find my’ packages on your technology to help track it if it goes missing.
Staying Safe online
- Watch out for phishing emails which may contain links which look legit but aren’t. Don’t open an email if you think it looks suspicious.
- Use a firewall and antivirus protection software and make sure you install updates regularly.
- Only visit websites which you know are secure and legitimate and don’t make any online purchases from sites which aren’t secure.
Further info:
www.geeksquad.com/do-it-yourself/tech-tip/six-steps-to-keeping-your-data-safe.aspx
Password Managers – http://uk.pcmag.com/password-managers-products/39332/guide/the-best-free-password-managers-for-2015
External storage – http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/storage/external-hard-drive-1292181
Blog post by SortmyPC Ltd who have been of great assistance to Umega Lettings over the years!
SortmyPC offers IT support to home and business users. We supply and service laptops, computers and tablets and can offer advice on security, data back up and cloud solutions. Contact us on 0131 477 2644 or visit www.sortmypc.co.uk
SortmybusinessIT, SortmyhomeIT and Sortmytelecoms are all part of the SortmyPC Group.
