Cyberattacks have been a significant problem in the education sector worldwide. It’s a recurring issue that became more prevalent when the recent global pandemic shifted the industry and became more digital. 

Now, even with physical classes returning, students heavily rely on digital devices and are mostly connected to the internet. This extensive use has made them vulnerable to various cyberattacks, particularly data theft. Students could easily fall victim to different threats without the proper know-how and tools.

Read more to learn about protecting yourself from cybersecurity threats as a student. The guide below will examine Private Proxy Networks and how they can help. Plus, we’ll give helpful tips on preventing potential attacks.

The Dangers of Public IP Addresses

Before discussing Private Proxies, let’s determine why they’re essential by learning the dangers of IP addresses.

The internet needs a way to differentiate computers, routers, and websites. They do this by assigning IP addresses to each segment. IP addresses are unique and are used by networks to distinguish each online party. These identifiers contain crucial information like device location and relay it on the internet. 

The scary thing about IP addresses is that they can be made public by internet service providers and similar parties. Plus, multiple users on a single network can also share the same IP address to connect to the internet. Because of that, users could be susceptible to cyberattacks. If malicious parties got a hold of a device’s IP address, they could execute various actions, most of which can endanger a student’s data.

For instance, a hacker could use your IP address to track your online activities or pinpoint your location to spy on you. In worst cases, hackers have used IP addresses to reroute illegal online activities to other devices, redirecting law enforcement to unsuspecting victims.

How Private Proxy Networks Help

Generally, private proxies are dedicated internet servers that act as mediators between your device and a website or online service you access. Unlike shared and public proxies, private ones offer exclusive IP addresses to a single user at a time without the option to share.

This exclusivity can help protect users from the threats mentioned above. Aside from that, it provides various benefits that can boost a student’s online research, which we will discuss below. 

Many private proxy providers are slowly incorporating more intelligent technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to make their services more robust. Such tools will allow users to have a safer and better browsing performance. 

To further understand the advantages of private proxies, AI-powered or not, we’re listing below the three main benefits to users:

Safer online privacy

Private proxies are safe because no other user or online party can access them. Among their many helpful features is to mask a user’s location by showing a different one on the internet. Because of that, users can achieve better online anonymity and prevent hackers or internet service providers from accessing or monitoring their data.

This feature is helpful for students who usually connect to public Wi-Fi networks when studying outside. By masking your location, hackers on these public networks won’t be able to detect and monitor your device. 

Better browsing speed

Bandwidth throttling is a common issue that occurs in public networks. It’s when internet service providers or similar parties purposely interfere with a device’s connection. This happens when they detect users accessing a specific site or online service. You can mask your IP address and hide it from other parties through a private proxy. Because of that, you will experience an uninterrupted and faster browsing experience. 

A private proxy can also help users prevent bandwidth overload that slows down a device’s browsing performance. It will act as a caching server that stores your frequently visited pages, loading them faster when you revisit. That way, students won’t have any issues while conducting crucial research. 

Access to location-based content 

Geographic restrictions are another common issue that many online users experience. Websites with region-specific content restrict users based on their device’s IP address. This is common on streaming services like Netflix and YouTube. However, it occurs on many websites, too, hindering students from having extensive access to information relevant to their studies. 

Private proxies provide IP addresses from different locations around the world. Many proxies use AI to make their locations more accurate, granting users better access to localized data that are difficult to acquire with a foreign IP address.

Other Preventive Tools and Practices Students Must Take

One of the many causes of data breaches is human error, ranging from lack of knowledge and wrong practices against various cyber threats. For instance, students could carelessly browse the internet, click unsafe links, or download malicious programs. 

As students who are always online, learning about the different cybersecurity threats and the preventive steps is vital to protect your sensitive data. These include identifying the signs of phishing attacks, creating a robust password, and updating your existing programs. 

It also helps to install a robust antivirus on your devices. Many new programs also leverage AI and machine learning to understand more about specific threats within a network. That way, they can execute various activities without prompt. Acquiring these tools will help add more layers of security to your devices. 

Be a Vigilant Student Online

As education becomes increasingly digital, students must equip themselves with the best knowledge and programs against various cybersecurity threats. Many of these tools may require a significant investment, but with parental or university support, you take one step forward in making your online browsing experience safe.