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Know the Difference Between Public Wi-Fi & Camosun Eduroam
Camosun Information & Technology Services strive to provide the best possible experience while using our infrastructure to get online. Camosun Eduroam may seem like it is the same as any other public Wi-Fi hotspot since so many people are connecting to it at a time, but there is a major difference. When you connect to Eduroam, there are many layers of protection built into Eduroam to keep both the college and yourself safe from the potential dangers online. Conversely, when you connect to a normal public Wi-Fi hotspot, like at a coffee shop, the protection in place, if it exists at all, is woefully inadequate. Below are some tips to use when you do need to connect to an insecure public network.
Using Public Wi-Fi Safely
The safest way to use public Wi-Fi is to not use it. Unfortunately that isn't realistic. There are a multitude of ways you can increase your protection while surfing online. The best, and likely most convenient, way is to use a VPN service. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and they are used to mask your activity online. Imagine you are a spy and you need to speak to your contact in a public place but cannot be seen talking to them. You get a middle-man to wear an ear piece and they go talk to your contact. You speak to your middle-man via ear piece and then they can relay that message and report back. In regards to a VPN, you connect to it as a "middle-man" so that your device never directly connects to an online service. This is important as public Wi-Fi may monitor your activity but all they will see is you connecting to the VPN and not the actual website you are wanting to use.
NOTE: The use of VPNs on Camosun Eduroam is not only unnecessary, but in fact discouraged. The security layers in place would be circumvented with the use of VPNs and you would then lose access to the protection provided.
Selecting the Right VPN
There are many good VPN services available, however there are also many that are even worse to use than just using public Wi-Fi in the first place. The first sign of a VPN to be cautious about is a free one. Nothing in life is free and it is likely the case that your data is being sold somewhere along the line. Be sure to read the privacy policy for any service, regardless of price. For strictly personal use, below are a few unofficial recommendations that would be a great place to start in your search:
Windscribe - Windscribe is a Canadian based VPN service that has a very human readable privacy policy. Their privacy policy specifically mentions that they do not use third party tracking or analytics. They do store usage statistics so be sure to read the privacy policy to ensure it aligns with your comfort level.
Private Internet Access - PIA is one of the big VPN players and has a reputable track record. They do mention that some data is shared with third parties, however this appears to be done in a very limited capacity. If you are looking to limit your exposure, be sure to read the privacy policy to ensure it aligns with your comfort level.
NordVPN - NordVPN is a very popular service that gets advertised frequently on social media sites. They are very reputable in terms of the service they provide, but their privacy policy does indicate a small amount of personal information sharing with third parties. If you are looking to limit your exposure, be sure to read the privacy policy to ensure it aligns with your comfort level.
