Data security remains a contentious issue over the past few years. Studies show that 43% of people feel they lack control over their information online. And as more threats to online security arise, we think about the growing pains of people in the business and education sector. Data security should be considered something of grave importance to organizations of all shapes and sizes. Universities should think about what kinds of risks the students, faculty, and staff face with the poor security protocols for data. The same can be said of companies and businesses that lose millions of dollars every single year to data hijacking, hacking, and identity theft. One way that organizations can secure their networks, and thus their employees or students, is to use a VPN provider.

Can a school VPN be traced?

A VPN or virtual private network is a service that extends a private network over a public network, allowing users to stay anonymous when browsing data. Its usage has been on the rise, with 31% of internet users around the world using a VPN service.

So why is it important to get a VPN for educational institutions? Students use the internet for schoolwork all the time. And while doing research, they cannot be certain that the sites they visit are secure. A VPN ensures that they don’t land on the wrong sites and compromise their data or the data of others. With a VPN, students and employees can also avoid email spam, protect their data, access websites locked by geolocation, and so on. That’s because, with a VPN, school activity can’t be traced—giving users on campus the peace of mind that no one is stealing their data through a network.

7 Tips When Choosing a VPN for Your School or Business

So how does one land on the best VPN tool available? Here are some tips for you when choosing a VPN for educational or business purposes.

1- Determine what you will use the VPN for

The first factor to consider is what the VPN will be used for. What’s the objective of using it and what sites will you access? For instance, if a school wants to tap into LMS software benefits and features, they will need a VPN that works well with these kinds of software. In the case of companies, there’s also the consideration of what the business might use a VPN for as well. Will you use it to access ticket and hotel booking flights? Or will you use it to check on competitor websites without being traced? There are dozens of use-case scenarios for VPN services. Determining the top uses will help you narrow down your choices.

2- Check the various strengths of each provider

Not all VPNs are alike in features and strengths. Some VPN providers might have a unique value in one area but are weak in another. VPN Proxy Master, for instance, is great for keeping your online activity private across various locations and countries, given it covers over fifty nations and 5,000 locations. This service example would be great for a school that’s not in a major country or city or a corporation that operates across various parts of the globe. 

When researching the best VPN provider for your educational institution or business, consider the strengths you need to focus on. Some aspects of a VPN you want to look into are speed, level of encryption, number of devices protected, and, of course, pricing.

3- Check your internet provider

Does VPN bypass school WiFi? It really depends. For one, it highly depends on your internet service provider. Its settings and functions don’t always operate the same way across various IPS. So it’s good to take your internet service provider into consideration. Try talking to an agent from your provider so they can also make recommendations and assessments on what VPN might work best for your office or campus.

4- Decide what level of encryption you will need

Not all levels of encryption are the same for all VPNs as well. Some provide higher levels of encryption, while others could provide the most basic level. It’s not always the best route to go for the highest levels of encryption as costs could go up with it. One good practice would be to determine what kind of security your business or school might need. If your business isn’t as public or popular, then having a lower encryption level should suffice. It also depends on the kind of business you run. A coffee shop, for instance, might not need as much encryption on their shop Wi-Fi as an accounting firm might need.

5- Look for a provider with good customer support

From time to time, you might run into some issues with your VPN provider. So it’s safe to assume that you’ll need to access customer support agents at some point. Hence, it is crucial to choose a VPN provider with an impeccable reputation for customer support. Choose a provider that provides the email support at the very least and preferably has chat support. VPN Proxy Master, for instance, has email, chat, and phone support. They also provide an extensive knowledge hub. This level of support should be the standard for a VPN provider of your choice.

6- Determine if all OS and devices are supported

Choosing the best VPN for students of an educational institution also depends on what kind of devices your students use. And this is where it gets tricky because schools don’t have control over what kind of devices, OSes, or programs students use. So it’s always good to choose a VPN that has more flexibility in terms of devices supported. 

There have been problems in the past with some VPN providers regarding Mac OS compatibility. So consider that when choosing an option. If you’re a student planning to get your VPN, this would be easier. Choose the VPN service that supports your device and operating system.

7- Consider your home country

Gaining protection from unwanted tracking isn’t something that everyone around the world has access to yet. That’s because some VPNs only work in select countries. So always make sure to check if your option works in your country. If your first option doesn’t support your location, try to land on a second or third option that does and keep waiting on the first option. VPN providers expand their reach every few months or so.

Preventing Cybersecurity Threats in 2022 and Beyond

In 2020, cybersecurity costs in the US jumped by 25%. Many might look at that and think that cybersecurity is a pain in the neck. That would be true if it wasn’t protecting people from larger expenses and costs related to hacks and stolen information. At the end of the day, it’s always good to remember that prevention is better than cure.

What is the best VPN?

For business and educational institutions, the best one would be VPN Proxy Master. It provides more than 6000 servers in more than 50 countries. People can unblock any sites and applications that are banned by simply changing the IP address with it. In addition, it ensures high online security without sacrificing speed. It allows optimized speed and minimized restrictions.