How to Bypass School VPN on Mac

Schools around the world are moving to a distance learning model where students can work at home and access course content using a VPN. The trend has been encouraged by the COVID-19 pandemic, where schools closed and home-learning rules took effect. With the return of a more traditional educational setup, students may now want to utilize a VPN to access confidential school information such as grades and disciplinary records. While there are solutions that can help, they generally require school administrators to deploy third-party apps and manage user settings. Considering the increasing sophistication of hackers and cyber-criminals, it’s essential that schools consider the security of their students and sensitive information when deciding whether or not to use a VPN.

The Pros And Cons Of A Virtual Private Network For Education

The use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in education was in high demand during the pandemic. As a result of the stay-at-home order, schools around the world moved to a distance learning model where students could access course content using a VPN. The trend was popularized by the Heathrow Virtual Academy in the UK, which offers over 140 courses to students, completely online and using only virtual classrooms. For the purposes of this review, we’ll examine the pros and cons of using a VPN in education.

Why Did Schools Switch To A Distance Learning Model?

The first and most obvious reason for schools instituting a distance learning model is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, teaching activities moved online and schools closed. In the US alone, over 250 million hours of distance learning took place in April 2020 alone, with another 274 million hours expected to be completed by the end of the year. In the UK, over 3 million lesson hours were delivered online in April 2020 alone.

Along with increased online teaching came increased cyber-crime. Just look at the Heathrow Virtual Academy incident, where the head of school learned of a serious cyber-attack that took place on their network. This was a lesson in cyber-security and one that schools would do well to remember.

Another driving factor behind the adoption of a distance learning model is the greater access that students have to learning material. Thanks to tech-savvy teachers and innovative course content, students can access material on any device and at any time. With some careful planning, content can be made available even when schools are closed.

What Is A VPN And Why Should You Care?

A VPN is a virtual private network, which acts as a secure connection between your computer, tablet, or smartphone and the internet. The service encrypts all of the data traveling between your device and a website or service you visit, protecting it from third-party interception.

Your ISP (internet service provider), mobile service, or other network connected device can see all of the data traveling to and from your device. However, they can’t see the contents of the data itself. This is an important distinction to make, as some VPNs are more private than others.

If you have something to hide, you don’t need to use a VPN. However, if you don’t want your data to be seen by people you don’t want to see it, such as your ISP, you should consider using a VPN.

How Do I Use A VPN For Education?

The best way to use a VPN in education is to set it up beforehand. This way, you can ensure everything is configured just the way you want it before you begin. Otherwise, you’ll have to manually configure the app or device every time you use it, which is tedious and prone to error. This is one of the reasons why some VPNs for education offer a One-Click setup option, which makes setting up the VPN easy and straightforward. Once the VPN is set up, you can use it to access blocked websites, watch streaming content, or play online games.

Access Blocked Websites

One of the best things about a VPN for education is that it allows you to access websites that your school or institution have banned. Thanks to the encrypted connection, all of your activity on the web is secure and compliant with school and institution policies. This is particularly useful when you are trying to access news websites, which are often blocked by schools and institutions.

BlockadeFoe is a free VPN that is perfect for this use-case. All you need to do is enter your school or institution’s IP address into the app or website you want to access and you’re good to go. In most instances, you’ll see a pop-up asking you to confirm that you’re a legal user of that network and to confirm that you agree to the terms and conditions of the service.

Play Streaming Content

Another excellent use for a VPN for education is to let your student devices access content that is not available for streaming. Whether you are trying to stream TV shows or movies or play digital games, you can ensure that everything is secure and that your student’s activity remains private. This is especially useful when you want to stop cyber-criminals from stealing your students’ personal information or when you need to ensure that your students do not exceed the network limits of your internet provider.

OpenVPN is one of the most popular VPNs for education due to its user-friendliness and its extensive feature set, which includes advanced authentication methods and double encryption. To set this up, you’ll need to install the OpenVPN app to your iOS device or run a compatible script on a server you control. From there, you’ll be able to connect your devices and continue using the service as normal.

Once set up, you can use OpenVPN to create a secure connection between your computer, tablet, or smartphone and access all of the content you want, even when your school or institution’s network is down.

Secure And Private Communication

When you use a VPN for education, you’re also using it to secure and private communication. Thanks to the encrypted connection, all of your activity on the web is secure and cannot be read by third-parties, including your internet service provider. When you communicate privately with someone using a VPN, your activity is also encrypted and cannot be intercepted even if they have access to the email you use.

In most cases, you’ll need to manually set up SSL (secure sockets layer) encrypted connections to secure private communication, but it’s still a good idea to do so. When you’re using an encrypted connection to communicate, you’re also ensuring that your communication remains private and cannot be read by third-parties, including your internet service provider. If your communication is sensitive in any way, such as trade negotiations or discussions about customer data, you should consider using an encrypted connection to keep your activity private.

Other Features To Consider

When choosing a VPN for education, it’s important to look at the additional features the service offers. Some VPNs for education offer advanced authentication methods, which allow you to login with your Facebook account or use two-factor authentication, whereby if you lose your password, a security code mailed to you will automatically enable you to login. Other services, such as CyberGhost, offer dedicated apps for students, which can make accessing content easier for them (e.g. homework help).

In most cases, it’s best to choose a VPN for education that is either free or has a low cost associated with it. This way, you can ensure that you’re not wasting money on a service that will not provide adequate protection for your activity. Remember, the more features a service has, the more expensive it usually is.

As the use of VPNs in education continues to grow, so do the threats to its security. With the increasing sophistication of hackers and cyber-criminals, it’s important that schools consider the security of their students and sensitive information when deciding whether or not to use a VPN.