What is a VPN and why might your Teenager be using one

Firstly, let’s start off by understanding that using a good VPN is a smart way to protect personal information you are entering when using different websites and platforms.  A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows the creation of a secure connection between two devices.

One of the main benefits of using a VPN is that it encrypts your internet connection, making it much more difficult for others to intercept your data or track your online activity.  This is very important if you are using public Wi-Fi which is readily available in many places – from airports to coffee shops, even at the poolside on your next holiday gateway.

The concern with many public Wi-Fi spots, is that these are open networks which are free and so have little to no security in place – meaning that cyber attacks known as a ‘man in the middle’ attacks could happen to users of Wi-Fi.

The attacker intercepts the communication by positioning themselves between the two parties, allowing them to read, modify, or inject new information into the communication. Such attacks of this nature can be used to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data, or to spread malware.

Using a good VPN can help reduce the risk of this happening when using free or public Wi-Fi in particular and can give you more privacy when online.

So what are the problems with Teens using a VPN if it protects their privacy?

In our experience, protecting privacy may not be the main reason for a teenager to use a VPN. Below are some of the reasons which are concerning for parents, caregivers and schools:

• Bypassing parental controls – we always encourage parents and caregivers to set up and use parental controls. These are particularly important to have in place for younger teens and children and can help with setting screen time boundaries and content filtering. If your teenager is using a VPN they can circumvent the parental controls which have been put in place to help keep the young person safer when online or on their phone.
• Accessing content on 4G or 5G network which would be otherwise restricted or blocked by the mobile network operator.  When using a VPN the filters which are in place see a different IP address, from a different country, so for example, it’s not able to apply the filter and block access.
• In some cases, a VPN can also be used in a school environment to bypass the restrictions set in place by the school to ensure content, websites and social media platforms can’t be accessed during the school day by students using the schools own Wi-Fi network.

How would I know if my Teenager is using a VPN?

As a VPN is downloaded from the app store, it will be installed on the device and have its own icon.  We always recommend that parents and caregivers who are using the devices own parental controls turn on ‘ask to buy’. This way if your teenager is trying to download a VPN this will be prevented till you approve the download.

Another aspect for parents to be aware of is that on Android devices for example, a VPN could be side loaded onto the device.  This is the process for installing an app on a device without using the approved app store.  It is also important to remember that side loading apps may have a malware risk.

Most devices will also display a VPN Icon in the top right when it is actively being used on the device so carrying out regular spot checks on the device is a great way to check if anything new has been installed.

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Stay safer online,

Wayne

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