Using a VPN to Bypass Cyberoam

Cyberoam, a Sophos company, is characterized by being a global network security appliances provider. They’re responsible for the blocking of certain websites or limiting the availability of content on selected websites on internet networks in schools, workplaces and other organizations. In other words, this may very well be the software that your employer is using to impose online barriers and control your internet access. Cyberoam isn’t the only one of its kind, as other popular internet filter software like Fortiguard is yet another solution universities, colleges and workplaces like to use. In more detail, Cyberoam offers network security based on User’s Identity which is applied in its Firewalls/Unified Threat Management appliances. This allows your school or employer all visibility and overall control over your online activities in their respective networks.

Blocks, throttling and more

Cyberoam’s solutions allow network administrators to limit access to for example YouTube. Their YouTube EDU settings let a network admin limit the content available on YouTube to just educational videos. The man or woman in control can also view logs and reports that show which websites, messaging apps and other online services you tried to access so they can impose further blocks on other websites they deem unfit for their network. But there are more sneaky tricks in Cyberoam’s hat: the nifty software also makes bandwidth throttling possible at certain times of the day, for selected users and groups of users. It can also be used to control the Wi-Fi network itself to prohibit outsiders from accessing the network.

Fortunately, there are a few ways you can stop being affected by such blocks and monitoring, that will give you more guarantees and get you in less trouble than having to tear you employer’s computer apart.

Newton’s third law states that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” and this can be applied to online censorship as well, as in for every program created to block access to such content there is another created to grant you permission. Nowadays we have all kinds of solutions such as Tor, proxy servers, smart DNS services and what not, that allow you to circumvent any geo-blocks. However, none of these are as good and reliable as a VPN.