To go further into understanding how to bypass Securly, one needs to understand what exactly Securly means and why it is employed.
Securly is an often used web filter and monitoring tool in schools to help promote a safe and controlled environment for students online. Its major purpose is to block particular Web-sites, categories of content, and online services which may be considered to be unsafe for use.
With many tools and features integrated into the platform, Securly helps school administrators and IT staff better monitor and regulate usage of the internet. To summaries, these policies protect students from getting to material possibly damaging or intrusive during the use of school networks. Securly aims to set the desired environment for students and this requires the use of web filters and monitoring ability.
Why Is Securly Used?
Educational institutions primarily utilize Securly for two main purposes:
- Digital Safety: Effectively protects students from easy access to unwanted, vulgar, and otherwise harmful material on the WWW. Through blocking and filtering website and content categories, Securly to navigate for the students by avoiding any site and content which contain explicit material, violence, hate speech and others.
- Productivity and Focus: The other important reason for the need of Securly is the inability to handle distractions during learning and studying. Securly is designed to reduce the amount of time that students spend off-task and not learning by blocking access to social media, gaming websites and other non-academic websites.
- Web filtering and Monitoring: Securly ensures that educational institutions have met their corporate social responsibility in ensuring the safety of the students and availing a favorable learning environment.
It is imperative to look at the reasons behind the use of Securly before readorning methods of getting around the restrictions in place. But, it’s vital that these standards and codes of conduct follow the rules of the educational institutions. However, using general methods to try and avoid or even counter Securly without the right permission is not advisable. However, other stakeholders ought to share their problems with the representatives of the network administration or write letters to schools and educational organizations to apply greater pressure to Securly and change its unconstructive tendencies.
Restrictions Imposed by Securly
Securly is used predominantly in educational infrastructure primarily to retain access to specified sites and content on the Networks. A priority is to create an online safe, controlled environment for students, but (unintentionally) it also limits a way of doing that which leads to censorship online.
Restrictions and limitations that are common
To block or restrict access to some sites or content deemed unsuitable or a risk of students, Securly uses a mixture of filtering. These limitations encompass:
- Social media platforms: Securly often proactively blocks access to popular social media sites, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter to minimize distractions so that students have less of a temptation to do far less productive things like browse through personal social media.
- Adult content: The objective of Securly is to help create a secure online environment in which students do not access explicit sites and stock and they only filter explicit sites and stock so that they are out of the danger of explicit sites and stock.
- Gaming and entertainment sites: Restrictions on use of gaming and entertainment portals, if school is being attended, may prevent too much time in front of the internet in order to kill off boredom.
- Streaming services: YouTube and Spotify could be blocked, or limited, so that they are not distracted from education duties.
It’s important to note how the school or organization has configured Securly to enforce the particular restrictions, sometimes the same restrictions will be enforced in different ways between different orgs. For more on how to bypass Securly’s filters, check out our in depth guide.
Impact on Internet Freedom
Unfortunately, Securly tries to make the internet secure and restrictions can prevent users from doing whatever they want to do. For instance, some of the affected are frustrated by these limitations and would prefer to be able access legitimate educational resources or artifacts which unfortunately get in the way of the system’s wary judgment.
It’s crucial to acknowledge Securly’s objective: Getting the right balance between safety and educational access. Securly is a filter that takes out what may be hazardous or interruptive, helping to create an ideal learning atmosphere to combat risks of unlimited online usage.
Therefore, Securly should be used in educational institutions for which transparency of communication with students is of vital importance and when students have other access to restricted resources as well. This can also help stabilize internet freedom; educating students on why these restrictions are in place and what to do with their internet use.
In this part we will see how we can bypass Securly and access blocked content. Also, to bypass web filters is also to break school policy and/or local law. Before you start going around some web filtering systems being legal and ethical.
Ways to Bypass Securly
Several options are available for people attempting to skip past Securly’s restrictions and regain internet freedom. Keep in mind though that other than having legal and ethical consequences there might be other consequences that you cannot see. Here are three standard methods used to bypass Securly:
Using Proxy Servers
Middlemen between your device and the internet are proxy servers. The fact that when you submit a request to a proxy server, it will connect it, and though it sends the request through to wherever you are attempting to go, you now have access to websites that you might not have the ability to otherwise. Both free and paid options online, these servers are available.
We must add that it’s not all secure or dependable — sometimes, relying on proxy servers is the way to go. They can be slow, are a threat to security, or violate your privacy. Second, displayed proxy server addresses may also be blocked by Securly itself. However, for this method if you go with this you should be careful and only use good proxy servers.
VPN Services
They also run another route to make use of Virtual Private Networks or VPNs to bypass through Securly and access blocked websites again. By means of an encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet, a VPN disguises your IP address so that you get to surf with an IP that suggests you’re browsing from a different location.
See Also: Maximize Your Learning with Clever Student Login
With a VPN you can get around Securly’s limitations and access blocked content. While proxy servers also provide some degree of anonymity, you cannot be assured of their security and they are certainly no match for a VPN providing you with additional privacy and a far more secure and dependable solution. However, it is still important to choose a VPN service of a reputable brand that matches your device and hardware among various ones.
Tor Browser
The Tor Browser, otherwise known as The Onion Router, is a web browser that allows you to browse anonymously, encrypting your internet traffic through a network of volunteer operated servers. The multi-layered encryption prevents your online activities from being shown in Securly’s rules.
To unblock websites or get around internet blocks, the Tor Browser can be one way of doing that. It’s worth mentioning, however, that the Tor network is slower than normal browsing and that some websites may not work at all for reasons of additional layers of encryption. Some activities done via the Tor network might still be traceable, so be careful and aware of the risks.
As a user trying to get around Securly or any other security measure, you need to factor in the legal and ethical matters, and the possible outcomes. We may engage in unauthorized activities which may violate school policies, terms of service, or local laws. Always a good idea to try out alternatives to bypass the security measures, and for instance, open communication with network administrators or education and advocacy for change.
Risks and Considerations
Prior to making any attempts to bypass a Securly, or other similar web filtration system, it is important to understand the legal, moral and safety threats, along with the repercussions that exist.
Legal and Ethical
They might violate acceptable use policies or terms of service provided by network administrators trying to bypass web filters like Securly. Keeping the network safe, secure, and for proper use, these policies remain. It can side step those restrictions, and in doing so, put oneself in breach of its agreements, and face disciplinary actions or involve themselves in legal proceedings.
It pays to respect those rules in place established by network administrators. A better approach rather than trying to work around restrictions is to talk with administrators about your concerns with the current filtering system and engage in open communication with them to address those concerns.
Security Risks
Children who bypass web filters like Securly or similar software put themselves at risk of many forms of cyber security exposure. Web filters can be bypassed by proxy servers, VPN services and, more commonly, the Tor browser. They could leak sensitive data such as login credentials or personal data to hackers.
When you use proxy servers or VPN services you always have to select reputable and reliable providers to guarantee your data privacy and security. It is more likely to compromise personal information security and become a victim of data breach if you use unknown or untrusted services.
Potential Consequences
A reminder on why it’s not advisable to try and bypass web filters such as Securly, especially in an educational or professional environment. For example, these consequences may include academic penalties, loss of privileges or even legal repercussions. Before trying to bypass web filters, it is a given that you should understand and accept potential outcomes.
Rather than finding ways to circumvent web filters, people should look into additional means of accessing web content or talk to network administrators about changing policy, through open expression. The ethical and legal obligations which exist in the network environment can be addressed by finding a suitable compromise collaboratively amongst stakeholders.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to bypass web filters like Securly, but when you are on the internet, you should consider security, ethical concerns, and what can happen should you decide to bypass the web filters. By understanding these risks, people can decide on their own the next best thing to do, and figuring out ways to fit into the walls of the legalities.
Exploring Alternatives
It’s tempting to bypass Securly, but exploring other ways of handling this that focus on open communication and education is essential. By fostering dialogue and preaching change, you can help make your internet experience a more inclusive and unrestricted one.
Open communication with Network administrators
An early first step is to start talking with the network administrators or IT department that will be rolling out Securly. If there is too much of a black box, we must express concerns, but also discuss encountered limitations that may open the door for dialogue. With collaboration, we can articulate our needs and our proposed alternative solution and through that maybe even something in the middle that will work out to protect free speech and create a safe browsing environment.
These discussions can be bolstered by supporting evidence and research. Focus not only on why the need to access specific sites or resources are necessary, but more so on accessing sites or resources in order to learn or produce. Reassessing might incite administrators to show how Securly’s restrictions might be infringing on learning and growth.
Changing with Education and Advocacy
One way to do that is education and advocacy for change. If this mobilizes students, teachers and parents with regard to the outcomes of internet restrictions there is the potential to recall the banning systems that operate as Securly. Talk about the benefits of an open and more inclusive Internet experience and engage in discussions about it.
Advocacy work does not necessarily have to happen at the school level. Talk with education oriented groups, parent teacher associations, or local authorities about the consequences of internet restrictions in educational environments. Working together, like minds join forces to strengthen a collective voice for change.
To remain up to the latest in research, technologies and best practices in internet safety is critical. It can inform this with this information, so that discussions can take place and the alternative solutions proposed must be balanced between online safety and internet freedom.
See Also: Clever Student Login Made Easy: Ultimate HCPS Access Guide
Respect, professionalism and keeping an eye on the educational value of an open internet approach is key to these conversations and efforts. If you work together with a common aim, you can help create a more inclusive online world which recognises the concerns and responsibilities of network administrators.