This is the story of one person who was defrauded over $50,000 and responded, “I’m one of the lucky ones. Real estate fraud is rampant, and it’s important that every property management business takes steps to secure their information.
The real estate sector is one of the most targeted by cybercriminals. To protect yourself and your clients, it is important to have a secure platform like AppFolio. Is Appfolio secure?
In this article, we take a look at the security measures in place at Appfolio. We also examine the benefits and features it offers property management businesses.
What Is Appfolio?
AppFolio is a cloud-based property management software platform. It offers a wide range of features and benefits for businesses and property managers. One of the main advantages of using AppFolio is that it is a secure platform.
AppFolio has implemented many security measures that protect client data. The most important of these might be their data encryption.
Data Encryption
This is the process of transforming readable data into an unreadable format. Any data intercepted by a third party is unreadable to them. AppFolio encrypts data both in transit and at rest.
This protects data sent between devices and stored on servers. AppFolio also employs state-of-the-art security technologies such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems. These measures make it difficult for unauthorized individuals to access client data.
Two Factor Authentication
This is another security feature of AppFolio. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security and data protection. With two-factor authentication, a user must confirm their identity using two different devices.
This could be something like a password, and a fingerprint or a code sent to a mobile device. Two-factor authentication makes it much more difficult for cybercriminals to gain access to accounts. If they can crack one password, they would need access to the second device to gain entry.
Physical Security
AppFolio also has physical security measures in place to protect client data. Their servers are in secure data centers in varying locations. These data centers have state-of-the-art security systems, including biometric scanners and security cameras.
Only authorized personnel have access to the data centers.
Communications Platform
AppFolio’s secure communications platform allows property managers and businesses to communicate with their clients. The platform uses the same data encryption methods as AppFolio’s other features. Communications are also protected both in transit and at rest, so anything said between you and your clients is secured.
The platform offers several other communication safety features. Messages set to expire after a certain amount of time prevent anyone from viewing them after that time has elapsed. They can also choose to have their messages self-destruct and deleted upon reading.
Features like encrypting connections and using a secure chat platform make communications private and inaccessible to intruders.
Nightly Backups
Data backups provide a way to restore lost or corrupted data. Appfolio knows how important it is to backup data. The backup of client data is done nightly by mirroring the data on a server in another location.
Backups are kept secure and may be retrieved if required. Appfolio recovery services help to recover data that is lost or corrupted.
The Benefits of Appfolio’s Security Features
Appfolio’s protection from cyber criminals is essential for businesses and property managers who are targeted often by cybercriminals. With this protection in place, businesses and property managers know their data and confidential information are safe.
Appfolio’s cyber security team works constantly to stay ahead of the curve, and they have a proven track record of success in protecting their clients’ data. In addition to Appfolio’s protection, businesses and property managers should also take steps to protect themselves from cybercrime.
This includes training employees on how to spot and avoid phishing scams, using strong passwords, and encrypting sensitive data. By taking these steps, businesses, in addition to Appfolio’s security features, there’s extraordinary peace of mind knowing your business is well protected.
Competetive Advantage
The security features that Appfolio give businesses and property managers also give them a competitive advantage. In today’s world, data security is more important than ever before. By choosing Appfolio, businesses and property managers can show their tenants that they are serious about safeguarding their information.
This builds trust between the property manager and tenant and attracts new tenants.
What to Do if You Experience a Data Breach
While the prospect of a data breach can be daunting, it is important to remember that there are steps that can be taken to mitigate the effects of a breach. Appfolio has a dedicated team of security experts who can help businesses and property managers respond to a data breach. The team provides advice on how to protect sensitive information, as well as helps businesses and property managers implement security measures to prevent future breaches.
If you experience a data breach, the Appfolio team of security experts works with you to mitigate the breach and protect your data. To contact Appfolio’s security team, log in to your account and click on the “Security” tab. From there, you will be able to submit a ticket to the security team.
Other Features and Benefits of Appfolio
In addition to its security features, AppFolio also offers a wide range of features and benefits that make it a great choice for businesses and property managers. One of the main advantages of using AppFolio is that it is a cloud-based platform.
This means that users can access their data from anywhere, at any time. All they need is an internet connection. This is a great advantage for businesses and property managers who need to be able to access their data while on the go.
Easy to Use
Another benefit of using AppFolio is that it is easy to use. The platform makes it easy for users to find the features they need. It provides a wealth of tools and capabilities tailored to the needs of companies and property managers.
Users may construct their own reports, establish automatic payments, and lots more with ease. The tools are updated on a regular basis so that you have the most up-to-date solutions available to run your business.
Affordability
AppFolio is an affordable solution for businesses and property managers. When you compare it to other solutions on the market, AppFolio offers a great value for the price. There are different pricing plans available, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.
AppFolio also offers a free demo, so you see the platform at work and decide if it is right for you before you commit to a purchase.
Saves Money
Not only will Appfolio be affordable enough where you’re saving money, but it streamlines a series of tasks that would traditionally take a lot of time. For example, if you need to collect rent from your tenants, Appfolio offers online rent payment capabilities.
This means that you can collect rent from your tenants without having to send out paper bills or process checks. This saves you time and money.
Another way that Appfolio saves you money is by automating tasks. For example, if you need to send out late payment notices to your tenants, you can set up automatic email reminders. This saves you the time and money of having to send out the notices manually.
Tenant Screening
Appfolio initiates tenant screening on all new customers. This is a process by which Appfolio checks the customer’s credit score, criminal history, and eviction history. This helps to ensure that only reliable and trustworthy tenants are placed on your property.
In addition, Appfolio offers a lease guarantee that will reimburse you for up to three months’ rent if a tenant fails to pay rent or damages your property. This guarantee is just one of the ways that Appfolio protects property managers from loss.
Tenant Tracking
Another feature offered by Appfolio is tenant tracking. This feature allows property managers to keep track of their tenants’ rental payments, lease expiration dates, and other important information.
This information can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, making it easy for property managers to stay on top of their tenants’ rental payments.
Late Fee Calculation
If a tenant is late on their rent, Appfolio can automatically calculate the late fee. This feature is extremely convenient for property management bookkeepers, as it eliminates the need to manually calculate late fees. In addition, you can customize the late fee to fit the specific needs of your property.
So, Is Appfolio Secure?
While AppFolio is a cloud-based platform, it offers the security that businesses need to protect their data. We hope this quick guide to Appfolio answered the question of “is Appfolio secure” and showed you the benefits it offers property management businesses.
And if you’re worried about the daunting task of learning new software to manage your business, that’s where we come in. Business Asset Solutions provides extensive training and consultations on Appfolio, so you can use your new software to its maximum potential. Get started today and watch your business thrive.
