Due to the global pandemic, many universities and higher education institutions have moved their courses, exams, and even thesis defenses online. Many handy tools, like web conferencing apps, help people stay in touch during this hard time of self-isolation. But recent incidents show that they can’t be fully trusted.
Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN, says that even though moving studies online is an applaudable move, cybersecurity must remain a top priority. Criminals are doing their best to use the situation and scam vulnerable people.
Hackers can trick an employee into clicking on a phishing email. That would give them access to the employee’s computer and all accounts and systems it is connected to. There have also been reports of criminals breaking into virtual meetings. One careless click or connection to unsecured Wi-Fi can cause troubles no organization wants to face. Online security has never been more important.
“We at NordVPN are moved by how the academic community is staying strong and trying to overcome the difficulties. We want to do our part in supporting employees of universities and other higher education institutions. That’s why we’re offering them free digital security services for six months,” says Daniel Markuson.
NordVPN, the world’s leading VPN service provider, invites educators facing lockdowns and other restrictions due to the pandemic to apply for 6 months of free NordVPN, NordLocker, and NordPass services.
VPN stands for “virtual private network” — a service that encrypts users’ internet traffic and protects their online identity. A VPN effectively grants employees working from home encrypted access to servers, systems, and databases that otherwise only could be accessed at an office. With a VPN turned on, no malicious actors can snoop on what people do online.
NordPass generates strong and unique passwords and keeps them in a secure vault. It also allows sharing passwords and notes among colleagues and students securely.
NordLocker encrypts all types of files on a computer and in the cloud. The tool keeps any work confidential and lets share it with colleagues and students safely.
An academic can apply for the free subscription by filling in a form. They will be asked to provide their work email address, the website of the university or other institution, and, if possible, a link to their faculty member profile. To see the list of the countries where educators are eligible for free subscriptions, please visit https://nordvpn.com/social-responsibility/educators/.
ABOUT NORDVPN
NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, used by over 12 million internet users worldwide. NordVPN provides double VPN encryption, malware blocking, and Onion Over VPN. The product is very user-friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide, and is P2P friendly. One of the key features of NordVPN is the zero-log policy. For more information: nordvpn.com.
