If you’re between the ages of 25 and 45, you’ve probably been using computers for most of your professional career. You know how to create a spreadsheet, you’ve signed digital PDFs, and you’re probably familiar with the basics of Google searching. But how many times has someone asked you for help resetting a password or locating a particular website? While it seems simple to us, this lack of digital skills can hold someone back from accessing the knowledge and opportunities available online. With more of our lives now happening virtually, digital literacy is more important than ever. Businesses and individuals navigate the internet every day, but if you’re having trouble building those digital skills, it creates a barrier between you and the rest of the online world. What is Digital Literacy? The definition of digital literacy depends on where you look, but according to the American Library Association, digital literacy is “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” That’s the very technical definition, but in regular terms, digital literacy is the ability to navigate and understand the online and digital world. For someone who grew up in the 90s, 2000s, or 2010s, we have a habit of taking these skills for granted, rolling our eyes at parents and grandparents who call us yet again to ask how to get to their email. But with everyone spending more time at home in 2020, being able to navigate that iPad you gave them for Christmas last year is one of the few ways you can stay connected. We do a majority of our shopping online, so much so that malls are going out of business. And why wouldn’t we, when companies like Amazon can have items to your house the next day. But what does that mean for small businesses who never created a website for their store, who are losing their foot traffic? Digital Literacy is more than just sending an email or responding to a Facebook message. It’s the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to succeed. Why Do We Need Digital Literacy? Digital literacy is a hot topic for a few reasons. While the issues of building digital skills have been in the spotlight for a couple of years now, COVID-19 has increased the awareness and need to build these skills for personal and professional reasons. When it’s difficult to get together with friends and family face-to-face, technology offers a way to fend off some of the feelings of isolation and loneliness, which is key to maintaining our mental health. Being able to handle a laptop or webcam can make a huge difference in maintaining relationships, but also in allowing for virtual visits with doctors or mental health professionals. We also know that a large number of people lost their jobs this year, leaving people looking for work who may not have had to search for a job in many years. This can be especially challenging now that the majority of job searches and interviews are conducted online. It also poses a problem for mom and pop stores that have been ordered to close their doors. Without the ability to navigate popular platforms like Facebook or even basic website creation sites like Wix to keep sales going online, they could be forced to close their doors. Being able to navigate online job boards like Indeed and professional networking platforms like LinkedIn can play a large part in the ability to find new work in the current market. Being able to handle technology is also essential for remote positions and working from home. On a more positive note, now is a great time for anyone looking to switch careers or just to grow their skills in their current field. If you’ve ever been interested in starting a new career in technology, now is a great time to work on those skills. Digital Literacy Resources If you’re interested in building your digital skills, there are resources available! In non-COVID-19 times, local colleges and libraries often offer classes on things like Microsoft Excel, basic email and Google skills, and even Apple-specific classes. You check with your local institutions on what they may have available. Companies like Microsoft also have programs available to help you build career-specific skills, like data analysis and IT support, or soft skills like Excel and the entire Office 365 suite. The Microsoft Global Skills Initiative offers free courses to help people affected by COVID-19 build their digital skills, but also learn new skills to help them prepare for a remote career. Their courses are available at no cost until March 31, 2021. Digital literacy has become one of the most important issues in 2020, allowing us to stay connected even when we can’t be face to face. Take some time to check out digital literacy resources and see what skills may be useful for you!… Read More

If you’ve never been unlucky enough to get a virus on your computer, let me set the scene for you: You’re sitting at your desk, typing away on a work or school assignment. You’ve been researching information online all day, including a few sources you weren’t so sure about. Suddenly your screen freezes. Everything goes black and lines of code begin scrolling across your monitor, and you realize that all of your work and data are gone. Or maybe you’re a pre-teen, sitting at the family computer circa 2007, downloading music from LimeWire. You finish saving “Sk8r Boi” by Avril Lavigne to your ipod shuffle and go to bed. The next day, your computer won’t turn on and your parents are furious. In both cases, you and your computer fall victim to malware. Viruses and malware have been around as long as computers have, and as technology advances, they become harder to avoid. Recovering your data after a virus can be expensive or even impossible, and often the easiest thing to do is replace your device all together. Computers are our whole lives, and to lose all your data can be devastating. So how can you keep your devices virus free? What is AntiVirus Software? Antivirus software has been around since the beginning of computers in the 1970’s, back when the very first virus, The Creeper, was created. The antivirus software industry developed in the 80’s, back when Atari still made computers. The 90’s led to the development of more widely available antivirus software from companies like Norton and McAfee, as well as the rise of the VPN, virtual private network. Technology has certainly advanced since then, but the idea is basically the same: scan for potential threats and eliminate them. So why do we need antivirus software? The short answer is easy: to protect your device from viruses. But there’s more to it than that. Threats to your computer and other devices come in many forms, collectively known as malware, including: Viruses – meant to damage your computer Rootkits – which mask malware Bots – which allow criminals to access your device Worms – meant to attack networks Trojan Horses – malware disguised as other programs that you can download Spyware – like the name suggests, can collect and access personal data Message scams – threats disguised at links in messages and emails A good antivirus software protects your devices from all of these threats, keeping your devices and your personal information safe from attackers. Regardless of the type of devices you use, a good antivirus program is necessary to protect them, as well as your information. Types of AntiVirus Software How can you get antivirus protection for your devices? The easiest and most common way is to buy antivirus software or subscriptions. While CD ROMs used to be the main installation method for antivirus programs, these days you can sign up for a subscription online and download the program right to your computer. But what about your other devices? Smartphones and tablets are also susceptible to malware and need antivirus protection as well. Most antivirus brands will offer extensions for your other devices, but often as an additional cost. There are also some free versions available online. Other antivirus methods are offered through some internet providers, blocking threats before they make it to your devices, rather than just finding and deleting them from your system. This also includes all of your devices through a single service. We offer this service at Wisper! If you’ve signed up for our Wisper Care plan, you’re already covered. Through the ProtectIQ add-on in the Wisper Home app you get access to built-in antivirus and malware protection for all of your connected devices. You’ll receive notifications in your app when a potential threat is blocked. You’ll also be able to see all threats that have been blocked, how many scans have been run and see a list of alerts. Viruses and malware can come from anywhere, so it’s important to keep your devices protected at all times. Whether you purchase a software subscription or go through your internet provider, you should seriously consider adding antivirus protection to your devices, if you haven’t already!… Read More

As we announced on October 1st, we’re launching a new service, Wisper Home! The new feature of the Wisper Care plan is the Wisper Home app. The app gives you total control of your home wifi, right from your phone. Wisper Home allows you to monitor any smart devices in your home, and it also protects your devices using a secure network. You can set parental controls, block viruses, and create guest networks, all in the Wisper Home App. Setting Up Your App Before we install our new routers, customers will need to download and set up the Wisper Home app. You can find us in your app store! Once the app is downloaded, you’ll need to set up an account. Start by setting up your information. Enter your email, create a strong password and provide a few extra details on your location. Once your account is created, you’ll be able to connect to your new router. There are a few ways you can do that: Scan the QR code on the router. This will automatically input all the information you need. Or you can enter the details manually. The MAC address and serial number are located on the router. Now you’re ready to set up your network! The app will prompt you to enter a Router Name and Network Name (SSID). The router name will help you identify the router when working in the app, and the network name is what you’ll select on your devices when connecting to the wifi. Finally, set up a network password. This should be different from your app password. Your network password is what you’ll use to access your internet on your devices. Now that your account and your router are ready to use, we can start getting into more of the available settings in the Wisper Home app. Parental Controls When you connect devices to your home wifi, they will be added to your Connected Devices list in your app. From here, you can choose a device that you want to set filters or profiles for. For example, you could select a child’s laptop, and a filter to block adult content or block specific websites. First you’ll need to set up a parental control profile. Using the parental control tab from the side bar menu, tap the plus in the upper corner to create a profile. Once you enter the profile information and add a photo, you can select the devices you want to include. Just be sure not to add the device that uses the Wisper Home app! From there, you can set time limits or disconnect all the listed devices. For more advanced options like content filters, go back into your main menu and select Enable Applications and select Enhanced Parental Controls. If it’s already enabled, you’ll already see these options in your profiles! Once that’s enabled, you can go back to your profiles and select Filters to create and view filters by content, applications, or websites. Network Security One of the best features of Wisper Home is the built-in antivirus and malware protection for all of your connected devices. This feature should already be available in your menu as Protect IQ, but if not, just select it from the Enable Applications menu. Once Protect IQ is up and running, you’ll receive notifications when a potential threat is blocked. No action is required! Threats are blocked automatically. Through the app, you’ll be able to see all threats that have been blocked, how many scans have been run and see a list of alerts. You can also skip devices that you don’t want to be scanned, but we don’t recommend it! You also have the option to add a potential threat to the Trusted List if there’s been a mistake. You can take content off the Trusted List at any time if you change your mind. Guest Networks guest network, wisper home And speaking of network security, Wisper Home makes it easy to set up guest networks. Guest networks allow people to easily access your wifi without leaving your private network exposed. Just select Guest Network from the main menu. Tap the plus sign to create a new network. You’ll also be able to see any active guest networks. Enter the information for your network. Event name can be customized for the purpose of your guest network, and the network name will be the option your guests select to connect. You can also choose to add a password using the AES security option. You can choose whether to make your network endless, something that is available all the time, or set dates for the start and end of the network. The network will expire and no longer be available after this date. When you’re done, select Save and Send to send the details to your guests. These are just a few of the options available to you in the Wisper Home app, so open it up, play around, and be sure to check out our Wisper Youtube channel for quick how-to videos if you have any questions!… Read More

Welcome to Wisper Home! Last week we unveiled our new Wisper Home app as part of the Wisper Care plan! We’ve been working on this for months, testing new routers and functions to find our customers’ best solutions. Wisper Care Plan To provide the new routers, we’ve made a few changes to our Wisper Care plan. We’ve changed the price from $9.99 per month to $15 for new customers, and included these added features: Our new router Service visits included Device set-up for routers and the app Built-in antivirus protection Speed Tests right from your phone Details on connected devices Guests networks capabilities Parental Controls And relocation services! For new customers looking to sign up, mention that you’d like the Wisper Care Plan when signing up for service! For current customers interested in upgrading, contact our sales team about upgrading your plan and getting set up with a new router! Wisper Home App Once you’ve signed up, you can download the Wisper Home app. It’s available for free in your phone’s app store. Just make sure that you have the app downloaded and your account set up before our technician arrives; that way, once your router is set up, you’re ready to go! The app allows you to control the functions of your router right from your phone. You can name your network, change your password, create guest networks, and set up parental controls and content filters. You can also check your connection speed, set up device profiles, and view connected devices. Speaking of connected devices, you can set up built-in antivirus protection for all your devices! Any ‘smart’ devices on your network are protected from threats, even if the device itself doesn’t come with protection. We’ll have more information on the new app and all of its features in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out on our website and socials, and don’t forget to watch our informational videos on Youtube!… Read More

Guest Networks and Network Security We know that visiting suspicious websites on your home internet can leave you exposed to malware and viruses, but did you know that letting guests on your network also leaves you exposed? Leaving your home network exposed also leaves room for hackers to access devices on your networks, like cameras, doorbells, smart thermostats, TVs, Alexa, and any device that is connected to your wifi. The ‘smarter’ your home is, the more important it is to protect your network. There are several strategies to keep your home network protected. You can set network strong network passwords, create guest networks, or start at the source with your internet provider. Network Passwords The number one way to keep your network protected is to create a strong password. Everyone who comes to your house will ask for your wifi password, but be careful. Once you give someone your password, they can tell it to their mom, their sister, their dentist, or just strangers on the street. We’ve talked about passwords before, but we’ll go over the basics: For network passwords, the longer the better! You want it to be something you’ll remember, but your friends won’t. A series of letters and numbers will be the best way to protect your network. Don’t give your password out to just anyone. This one is pretty obvious, but limiting the number of people who know your wifi password will limit the potential risks to your network. Change your password often. Create a system for yourself. Every 5 people you give your password to, change it up! Find a system that works for you, and stick to it. Guest Networks If you have a lot of people in your home for parties, holidays, or just have people over often, you may want to create a guest network. There are two different kinds of guest networks – a temporary network and an endless network. A temporary network has a start and end date. These are the most useful for events, so your guests can have wifi access while at your home, but the network will timeout when the event is over. You can set a guest password or leave it available. Either way, it keeps people off of your personal network. Let’s say your buddies are coming over for a Super Bowl party. Everyone’s going to be live-tweeting, checking stats, and googling the latest commercial. You don’t know where those searches will take them on the wide web, so you set up a guest network. The network starts the morning of the party, uses the password TouchDown#1, and expires at midnight when all of your guests have hopefully gone home. Now whatever your friends are searching will stay on that protected guest network, and the password for your personal password stays private. The second type of guest network is an endless network. These networks don’t have an expiration date, so you can keep up all the time. These are the most helpful if you often have guests in your home. Network Security with Wisper Home And finally, one of the simplest ways to protect your devices and your network is to start right at the source. Services like Wisper Home App and the Wisper Care plan block any negative invaders before they even get into the house. Wisper Home and other similar services run in the background 24/7 and alert you anytime something tries to get onto your network. It works by protecting all devices on your network, preventing any outside access to those devices, and blocking data from suspicious sites. As we mentioned before, some devices don’t have built-in antivirus capabilities like your phone or computer. Your smart TV or video doorbell has access to a lot of your information but isn’t inherently protected. Protecting them at the source keeps your information safe and private. Network security is important to protect your data, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep your password strong and private, set up a guest network when you need it, and keep all of your devices protected from invaders with Wisper Home…. Read More