Question:

“As an employee at a school, I’m considering using a personal VPN on my tablet while connected to the school’s monitored WiFi network. My intention is to stream content during off-hours without students present. If I proceed with installing Norton 360’s VPN on my device, what level of activity will the school’s IT department be able to detect? Will they only notice an increase in data usage, or can they also identify the specific nature of the data being transmitted and received?”

Answer:

In the digital age, privacy and unrestricted access to information are highly valued, leading many to employ Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). For school employees, the use of a personal VPN on a school’s monitored network raises important questions about privacy and network management.

A VPN creates a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. It encrypts data leaving your device, making it unreadable to anyone who intercepts it. This encryption secures your online activities from external observation, including potentially the IT department of your school.

What Can the IT Department See?

When you use a VPN, the IT department will see that there is an active connection from your device to a VPN server. They will notice encrypted data packets being sent and received, which appear as undecipherable strings of characters. They can see the amount of data transferred and the fact that a VPN is being used, but not the content of the data or the specific nature of your online activities.

Data Usage and Patterns

While the content remains hidden, the IT department may observe an increase in data usage. Streaming services, such as YouTube TV, consume significant bandwidth, which could be a red flag for network monitoring systems, especially if the network has usage policies or restrictions in place.

Compliance with School Policies

It’s crucial to review your school’s policies regarding network use. Some institutions may prohibit VPN use on their networks. Non-compliance could lead to disciplinary action, regardless of the privacy afforded by the VPN.

Conclusion

Installing Norton 360’s VPN on your tablet will likely shield the specifics of your internet activity from the school’s IT department. However, they will be aware of the VPN’s presence and the increased data usage. Always ensure that your actions align with the school’s policies and consider the potential implications of using a VPN on a monitored network.