5 Reasons a VPN Should Be on Your Back-to-School Shopping List

Whether you're heading off to university for the first time or starting a new academic year, back-to-school season usually means shopping for new gear. Just don't forget to put a virtual private network, or VPN , on that list.

Students have become increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals because of the way they use the internet. They regularly connect to public Wi-Fi, download free software and create multiple online accounts, all while juggling packed academic schedules that leave very little time to keep up with the latest scams and security threats .

A VPN works by encrypting your internet traffic and hiding your public IP address . But it also offers a ton of digital utility, including letting you unblock region-restricted content, whether you're accessing resources for your studies or streaming your favorite content. 

Here are all the reasons why a VPN deserves a place on your back-to-school shopping list.

Stay private on public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi at coffee shops, libraries, airports or your university campus can be incredibly convenient, especially when you're trying to save on mobile data. But while you're not paying for these networks, you could end up paying for them with your privacy if you're not using a VPN .

These are often open networks that don't require a password — which is why they have potentially hundreds of devices connected at once. Now, I'm not suggesting your schoolmates are secretly cybercriminals, but you simply don't know who else is on the network or what they're capable of.

They could be snoopers — hackers, internet providers, network administrators, for example — who can see what you're doing online. In rare cases, they may even be able to read sensitive information you type or submit, such as passwords or credit card numbers, if you're using websites or services that don't properly encrypt your traffic.

This is why you should always use a VPN on public Wi-Fi . It hides your browsing, streaming and downloading activity from prying eyes. It can also protect you against certain security threats, such as adversary-in-the-middle attacks that try to intercept your data on compromised Wi-Fi networks. 

That said, a VPN can't stop you from connecting to fake, or evil twin , Wi-Fi network. You should always check the network name carefully and avoid automatically connecting to unfamiliar public Wi-Fi networks.

Access more research resources

Beyond boosting your digital privacy, a VPN can also help you do better research and potentially give you an edge over your peers. Certain resources, including case studies, news reports or even YouTube videos, may be unavailable in your region — or behind a paywall in your location but freely accessible in other parts of the world.

Using a good VPN gives you access to thousands of servers in hundreds of locations across the world, making websites and online services think you're accessing them from that region. So you can connect to a server in a different region, giving you access to research materials that are otherwise unavailable where you live.

Bypass online restrictions

Your university may restrict access to certain websites and online services on its campus Wi-Fi, such as entertainment and social media platforms — all in good faith to keep students focused while they're on campus. But what if you need access to one of these services for legit reasons, or if you just want to browse freely in your downtime? This can be especially relevant if you're living on campus and want to use the internet for entertainment or other personal activities outside of study hours.

A VPN can help you get around some of these network-level restrictions by routing your connection through a different server. That makes it more difficult for the campus network to identify and block the service you're trying to access.

The ability of a VPN to spoof your public IP address can be even more useful for students studying abroad, especially in places where local governments geo-block access to certain social media platforms, entertainment services, communication tools or even productivity apps that you regularly use back home. By connecting to a VPN server in a different country, such as your home country, it can appear as if you're surfing the web from there instead, thus restoring access to services that are blocked in your current location.

Access more streaming content

Different streaming services offer different libraries depending on where you are, mainly because of licensing agreements. Netflix , for instance, might have the rights to a specific show in the U.S., while Prime Video has them in the U.K. In some cases, a show or movie might simply not be available for streaming in your region at all. 

This can be frustrating for students, especially when subscription prices are already rising and you don't want to pay for a whole new service just because a show you want to watch isn't available on the platform you're already subscribe to.

A VPN for streaming can help by letting you connect to a server in a different country and access the streaming library available in that region. It can also open the door to free streaming services that aren't available everywhere, such as BBC iPlayer, CBC Gem and Tubi, giving you more content without having to pay for another subscription.

Additionally, it can help you save on streaming costs by allowing you to subscribe to a cheaper service available in another region. For example, international cricket is available on both JioHotstar in India and Sky Sports in the U.K., but the former is significantly more affordable. By connecting to a VPN server in India, you could potentially access the cheaper option instead of paying more for the same content.

Stay connected while traveling

Whether you're traveling abroad on your fall or spring break or heading overseas for a summer internship, a VPN can help you stay connected to services back home. This isn't just about the streaming services and websites you use every day, but also important services such as your email and banking apps that might not work correctly or even be available when you're out of your home country.

Make sure you pick a VPN that works

A VPN can be useful to students in several ways, but you'll only get these benefits if you choose a VPN that actually works for your needs. At CNET, we regularly test VPN services across a range of use cases, and the good news is that all of our recommended VPN services are equally capable across these tasks — including protecting your browsing, unblocking geo-restricted content and delivering fast enough speeds for activities such as streaming and gaming.

But if you're choosing a VPN yourself , there are a few things you should look for. First and foremost, the VPN you pick should have a clear no-logs policy that's independently audited on a regular basis. An audit is only a snapshot of a VPN's practices at the time it's conducted, which is why we recommend looking for providers that undergo audits at least once a year.

Additionally, look for modern VPN protocols , transparent pricing, a clean track record and excellent core security features such as a kill switch , split tunneling and leak protection.

Finally, I'd advise students to avoid free VPNs . Free VPNs usually don't offer much bandwidth — and though some VPNs, such as Proton VPN , offer unlimited bandwidth, they restrict you in other areas. They may not be able to unblock streaming services, for example, or offer enough server locations for you to access websites, services or research resources that aren't available in your region.

That said, a good VPN doesn't have to be expensive. There are several high-quality cheap VPNs that perform just as well as their premium counterparts, and you can also share a VPN subscription with your roommates or friends — a majority of VPNs support multiple simultaneous connections — to bring the cost down further. 

Speaking of saving costs, you can bundle essential cybersecurity services such as antivirus and password managers , too, which can not only give you more comprehensive security but also offer better value than paying for each service individually.

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