Information for Students Who are Traveling
RELIABLE INTERNET ACCESS 
It is critical that you have reliable Internet access at all times. If you are traveling outside the United States, some content in your online courses may be blocked. Reports from China indicate that the government is clamping down on the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that have previously given students access to course materials that would otherwise be blocked. If you are traveling to countries such as Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Burma, you will probably experience similar restrictions.
Image: Student walking in front of Lemieux Library
What's a VPN?
Think about all the times you’ve been on the go, reading emails while in line at the coffee shop, or checking your bank account while waiting at the doctor’s office. Unless you were logged into a private Wi-Fi network that requires a password, any data transmitted during your online session could be vulnerable to eavesdropping by strangers using the same network.
The encryption and anonymity that a VPN provides helps protect your online activities: sending emails, shopping online, or paying bills. VPNs also help keep your web browsing anonymous.
- Source: What is a VPN? Links to an external site.
Seattle University provides a service similar to VPN's called a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). You can log in and access all software available on Windows computers in SU computer labs while securely browsing the internet. Log in with your web browser at: APPORTO Links to an external site. and log in with your SU credentials and choose "Launch." While this service may secure your internet browsing on open Wi-Fi networks at coffee shops, for example, it may not work for you in countries like China that restrict internet access.