Upon the arrival of my seventh-grade students in our classroom, they each picked up that day’s Entrance Ticket, which contained a straightforward question: “How do we ensure our online safety?” This inquiry served as a precursor to commencing our final unit on cybersecurity, aimed at gauging their existing knowledge.
One by one, the students handed in their half sheets of paper. On the single line provided, I encountered succinct one-word responses, brief sentences, and in some instances, bulleted lists. The answers varied, encompassing directives such as refraining from sharing passwords, using unique passwords, engaging only in online games with known individuals, and avoiding the clicking of links in emails. However, one student’s response stood out—it was a mere three-letter word scrawled in pencil: VPN.
Within my classroom, it was customary to engage my students in discussions about the internet’s risks and rewards. The online realm poses genuine dangers for our children, as at any given moment, they might inadvertently access a rogue network operated by a hacker, thereby jeopardizing their family’s personal information. These hackers often exhibit a high degree of sophistication, rendering it challenging even for adults, let alone children, to distinguish between authentic and counterfeit online entities.
While it is undeniably vital to converse with children about online safety and the methods of safeguarding information on the internet, there are occasions when mere conversation falls short. This is where a VPN (Virtual Private Network) comes into play, providing an additional layer of security by ensuring safety when utilizing public Wi-Fi, shielding financial data from cybercriminals, and obscuring the data collected about you, including the websites you visit and your brand preferences.
HOW A VPN FUNCTIONS
A VPN, or virtual private network, establishes an encrypted pathway between your device and a VPN server hosted by a provider. Consequently, all internet traffic passing between your device and the server remains entirely anonymous.
This feature enables you to navigate the internet anonymously, whether you are using public Wi-Fi while on the move or streaming content on Netflix from the comfort of your living room. Importantly, to external entities like advertisers or hackers, your internet traffic originates from the VPN provider rather than the coffee shop’s internet service provider (ISP) or your home ISP, both of which can be readily geographically traced to pinpoint your location. Therefore, your online activities appear to originate from the VPN provider, blending you in with other VPN users, irrespective of their actual locations.
UTILIZING A VPN AT HOME AND IN PUBLIC
There are numerous scenarios in which a VPN proves invaluable. It bolsters our children’s online safety and fortifies the protection of our personal information. Here’s how a VPN can be beneficial both at home and in public.
USING A VPN AT HOME
In lieu of your internet traffic originating from your home ISP, which is easily identifiable as originating from your local city, a VPN ensures that your traffic “appears” to emanate from the internet at a generic location managed by your VPN provider. The utilization of a VPN effectively keeps ISPs and data trackers at bay, preventing them from accessing your browsing data.
The internet, especially for children, can be a treacherous terrain. Social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Roblox, Discord, and others expose our children to potential risks. Cybercriminals continually employ phishing tactics and social engineering strategies to extract personal information through malicious links or email attachments, text messages, or direct messages (DMs).
At times, VPNs are employed to access geo-restricted content. For instance, when traveling abroad and desiring to watch content on subscription-based streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Max, you may encounter restrictions based on your current location. This could lead to missing episodes of your favorite series or crucial games of your preferred sports team.
In the event of traveling abroad and connecting to a VPN server located in the United States, your actual location remains concealed. This means that even though you may physically be on a remote tropical island, you can create the illusion of being in the United States, enabling you to binge-watch your favorite series with ease.
High school students on the West Coast, aspiring to gain admission to Ivy League colleges on the East Coast, may employ VPNs to adjust their local time zone, allowing them to access East Coast AP test scores as soon as they are released.
USING A VPN OVER PUBLIC WI-FI
When utilizing a VPN with public Wi-Fi, all your online activities are encrypted from the moment they are transmitted wirelessly until they reach the VPN server. This effectively thwarts hackers or malicious Wi-Fi providers from intercepting or altering any data within this secure tunnel.
This level of protection is akin to having an exclusive private lane on a congested highway.
SHOULD I PERMIT MY CHILD TO UTILIZE A VPN?
VPNs undeniably enhance online safety for our children. However, curious and often resourceful tweens and teens may express interest in VPNs for the purpose of circumventing school content filters or the internet security measures enforced at home.
I once heard of a friend whose non-technical 16-year-old daughter inquired about installing a VPN on her mobile phone. When asked about her motives, she candidly revealed her intention: to bypass the school’s content filters, asserting that “everyone’s doing it.”
As a parent, it is imperative to exercise caution regarding a VPN’s potential to compromise privacy. Most children prioritize convenience over privacy concerns, focusing on swift access to content (even if some of it is inappropriate), downloading free game enhancements, or engaging in chats.
This brings us to our next point—children can easily download VPNs without their parents’ knowledge. The Bark blog offers various methods to ascertain whether your child has installed a VPN.
WHICH VPN SHOULD YOU PLACE YOUR TRUST IN?
When employing a VPN, you are essentially masking your identity from your ISP and others sharing the same coffee shop network. Simultaneously, you are entrusting all your data to one specific company or entity, where it becomes visible.
This poses a critical question: whom do you trust more—the patrons in the coffee shop or the VPN provider? It is paramount to select a VPN operated by a reputable and trustworthy company.
Downloading a VPN from an unverified or untrustworthy source could potentially expose you to greater risks than those associated with using the open internet.
Twelve years ago, I collaborated with Bitdefender in my capacity as their Chief BitMom, disseminating internet security advice to fellow parents through my blog and their online community. As a cybersecurity leader, Bitdefender has consistently strived to provide cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, safeguarding individuals worldwide against cyberattacks to enhance their digital experiences.
Much of the guidance I offered as Chief BitMom remains pertinent today. However, the need for safeguarding our myriad of devices and securing connections has become even more pronounced as risks continue to evolve. Consequently, Bitdefender has evolved accordingly.
When Bitdefender approached me regarding a collaborative exploration of Bitdefender Premium VPN + Total Security, I perceived it as an excellent opportunity to examine a product I had not previously evaluated, while delving deeper into the realm of VPNs for the benefit of my audience.
SETTING UP BITDEFENDER PREMIUM VPN + TOTAL SECURITY
For those who may find the wealth of information about VPNs overwhelming, setting up Bitdefender Premium VPN is an effortless process. Securing my personal laptop and mobile device with Bitdefender Premium VPN took a mere 10 minutes. Here is an overview of how straightforward it is to
