Who do you trust?
“Internet included” is a nice perk, but it comes with risk.
Because they have administrative access to the router providing your internet access — be it an open WiFi hotspot, a hotel, your place of employment, or even your ISP — the provider can monitor your usage. Accidentally or on purpose, they may also allow others on the network to sniff your traffic. If your landlord is your internet provider, this applies to them as well.
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Internet included?
Free internet from your landlord is handy, but it’s risky. They (and your neighbors) could see what you’re doing online. Use secure websites (https) and get a VPN to protect your privacy. Consider paying for your own connection so you stay in control.
Who do you trust?
We usually trust our ISP, and perhaps even our employer, but it’s a bad idea to trust hotels and open Wi-Fi hotspots. Both are easily abused by network administrators or by those willing to sit quietly in a corner and capture internet traffic passing by. It’s also easy to misconfigure the connection without fully understanding the security ramifications.
As generous as your landlord’s offer is, it falls into the same boat.
- When your landlord provides your internet, that makes them your ISP. If technically knowledgeable, they can watch the traffic on the network. If not technically knowledgeable1, it’s easy for them to set things up with less-than-ideal security.
- Depending on the network configuration, your neighbors (or anyone in range of the wireless network) might have access to the traffic to and from your computer.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is: it’s the same risk you run when using an open Wi-Fi hotspot at your local coffee shop or elsewhere.
Related
What VPN Should I Use?
VPNs protect from certain types of surveillance and more. I'll discuss what they're good for and what to consider when selecting one.#27629
It’s not new, and it’s gotten better
The good news, then, is that the same solutions apply.
Secure connections. This has changed dramatically in recent years. Almost all web connections are encrypted with https. Others might see which sites you are visiting (e.g., gmail.com), but the data (e.g., your email) is encrypted and inaccessible to them.2
VPNs. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a fully encrypted connection to a VPN server that then connects you to the internet. These are typically meant for people who travel and use open Wi-Fi hotspots and hotel connections a lot, but they’re useful in many other situations. This hides everything you’re doing from your internet provider as well as anyone else able to snoop in on the connection.
Anonymous web surfing. If you use a service like TOR, snoopers might know that you’re using the service, but they cannot tell where you’re surfing; it’s all encrypted.
Do this
Given that you’ll be connecting this way almost exclusively in your new residence, I’d recommend a VPN as the easiest solution. It’ll protect everything you do from your landlord and your neighbors.
The ultimate solution is getting an internet connection independent of your landlord. It’s worth at least a quick look and cost comparison.
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Footnotes & References
1: Of course, this applies equally to whoever the landlord may have hired to do the work; they, too, could be malicious or incompetent.
2: In theory, a hotspot owner or ISP could perform a man-in-the-middle attack and possibly intercept the encrypted traffic. This is extremely difficult and rare and typically generates warning signs, including error messages of various sorts.
