Unrestricted access to the internet has become crucial for the modern college experience. Thanks to campus-wide Wi-Fi, attending online classes or accessing your school’s learning management systems are actions no longer tied to your dorm or the library.
However, while it’s free and convenient, campus Wi-Fi isn’t without its dangers. Here’s what you should consider before connecting, and how to stay safe if and when you do.
The Risks of Using Campus Wi-Fi
Saying that the Wi-Fi on your campus is as dangerous as the public ones you’d access from a coffee shop or airport would be untrue. After all, your university likely has a dedicated IT team that makes sure students can connect safely. Even so, some genuine risk remains.
For example, rogue hotspots are a feasible threat. An attacker can easily make their network resemble the university’s and trick unsuspecting students into connecting. They can then monitor your online activities and even get a hold of your credentials or other sensitive data if you share them on unencrypted websites.
There’s also an underlying but false assumption that all devices on a monitored network, like campus Wi-Fi, are safe. A student might pick up malware elsewhere, connect to the campus network, and inadvertently spread it to other connected devices. This can happen if network access isn’t properly segmented.
Finally, universities themselves may use data gleaned from your Wi-Fi habits for purposes you may disagree with. For example, a Swiss university once used its Wi-Fi antennas to collect anonymized location data to analyze students’ eating habits. While this particular example is harmless enough, it begs the question of what other data universities may be collecting, using, or maybe even selling.
What Precautions Can You Take?
While campus Wi-Fi is generally safe to use, you can protect yourself from potential security risks with a few simple precautions that keep you both safe and connected.
Use cybersecurity tools religiously
A VPN is a commonly used tool for protecting your online visibility and activities. It’s easy to set up and doesn’t interfere with your usual browsing habits. Whether you’re on a laptop or smartphone, the best VPN will help you establish a secure and uninterrupted connection to the internet.
All your device’s traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel to the VPN’s servers, ensuring that no one can monitor, intercept, or alter the data. This keeps sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial details, and personal data, secure.
You can also skip Wi-Fi and use mobile data instead. eSIMs are growing in popularity and may be a great alternative to your usual data plan.
While most eSIMs provide data-only plans (meaning you can access the internet but can’t make traditional voice calls or send SMS messages through the eSIM itself), you can still make calls and send messages through internet-based apps like WhatsApp once connected.
Beyond convenience, some eSIMs also help enhance online safety. For example, there are some eSIM services that come with built-in security features that block advertisers and trackers. Such features offer more privacy and reduce the amount of personal data advertisers can access.
Protect your sensitive information privacy
Regardless of network safety, there’s also the matter of oversharing and the information that’s already available about you out there. College students are often passionate and outspoken, which may attract unwanted attention. Besides, you wouldn’t want a comment you carelessly made during your high school or college days to one day tank your future employment prospects.
Signing up for a data removal service now helps you take control of your digital footprint. The service will get data brokers to take down any unwanted information on you and keep them from collecting more. That way, you’ll be much safer from doxing, harassment, and other targeted cyberattacks.
Staying Connected and Protected on Campus
Campus Wi-Fi is very useful, but it comes with some risks you must consider. To make sure you get the benefits without the risks, be smart about how you protect yourself. If you use VPNs, think about other mobile options like eSIMs, and keep an eye on your digital footprint, you can navigate your college years with confidence. After all, you shouldn’t have to give up your privacy and safety to get an education, right?
This is a post by Kristine Vedder
