Using a VPN at College

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) defend your privacy and allow you to access things which firewalls have blocked. Nowhere is this more important than when using public networks such as in college. When you log in to the college network, your information is available for all to see. And, more importantly, educational institutes tend to ban essential websites, such as social networks and many research sites.

Student fraud and foolery

Students aren’t above becoming victims of fraud. Over 12 million adults in the United States became a victim of fraud through the internet in 2012, while college networks don’t keep your information private. Anyone can log into the network and retrieve your information. The hacker doesn’t need to even have to be at your college, they can hack you from anywhere in the world.

A VPN prevents this as it ensures your activities remain hidden, despite the fact you are still using your college connection as per usual. It means, for example, if you enter your credit card details into a website, they won’t become exposed to any fraudsters.

As a student, you’ll probably find yourself in highly public places, such as coffee shops. Here is where fraudsters sniff out passwords which people have foolishly entered, or even saved, onto a public network. With a VPN, you don’t have to worry about a moment of forgetfulness or carelessness.

Unblocking the unblockable

Another benefit is it unblocks sites that were blocked by US government controls. America has a lot of good aspects, but censorship on the web certainly isn’t one of them. VPNs essentially make the internet free again.

VPN’ing on the go

A VPN isn’t something exclusively confined to your computer. Makers and developers of VPNs have acknowledged the cravings for a solution to the problem of safety and encountering firewalls on the go. There’s now a selection of working VPNs that keep your data hidden on your phones and tablets. Most VPNs now work on popular devices and systems like: iPhone, Windows Phone, and the iPad, and Android devices including the Samsung Galaxy.