Hotspots for students in higher education: Balancing connectivity and security on and off campus

During the pandemic as classes moved online, college students without internet access had to explore alternative options,¹ including the use of hotspots. While on-campus teaching has returned, distance and online learning is likely to remain a part of the higher education mix. This means longer-term solutions will need to be found to keep students connected. This is where the option of hotspots for students offers a potential path forward.

Even during in-person teaching, internet access is critical to completing assignments, studying and communicating with professors and students, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. It can even be a factor in whether students study at all—20% of community college students who left school during the pandemic reported not having reliable access to high-speed internet at home other than their mobile phone.²

Not every student lives on campus or is able to access college-provided internet when needed, and not all college students have high-speed, reliable internet at home. Despite the importance of broadband internet when it comes to working, learning, and every other online activity, it's not universally available. As of the end of 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimated that 14.5 million people do not have internet access at home.³ This includes 17% of rural residents and 21% percent of residents of Tribal lands, as well as one percent of urban residents.⁴ The FCC reports that broadband deployment is growing, but not all households can afford to be online.

For students who complete classwork in public spaces, it may be tempting to use free public Wi-Fi. But that can also be risky, so risky that 32% of organizations ban the use of public Wi-Fi on their devices according to Verizon's 2022 Mobile Security Index (MSI). Public networks can attract bad actors who may use public, unencrypted networks to spy on user activity and potentially prey on users. A mobile hotspot, which connects through a cellular network, can be more secure than free public Wi-Fi.

With students learning remotely during the pandemic, it became important for them to have Wi-Fi wherever they were. Some colleges and universities allowed students to loan hotspots⁵ just like library books, funding was allocated in some states for hotspots for schools and universities,⁶ while some companies like Verizon donated hotspots to those in need. In California, one program alone distributed 5,000 hotspots to community college students.

Research from The Ohio State University and Indiana University into the impact of the pandemic on the digital divide among college students, shows why the provision of hotspots for students can be so important:

• Between 16-19% of college students reported inadequate computer hardware or internet connection
• Lower-income, Black, Hispanic and rural students were more likely to report these types of technology barriers to learning
• Students with inadequate technology were "substantially" more likely to opt for a "Pass\No-Pass" grade, suggesting they may have struggled with online learning during the pandemic

However, the increase in use of hotspots for students during COVID-19 was not without challenges. While a great option for keeping college students connected, there are potential hotspot security risks to consider.

While safer than using public networks, there are still risks associated with students using hotspots.

• Attacks: Mobile attacks have increased in the past year, according to the MSI—45% of organizations suffered a breach involving a mobile device in that time. While many of these devices are likely phones, criminals are still interested in hotspots. The number of devices connecting to a risky hotspot per week doubled in 2021 from 0.5% to 1%. Hotspots can be used by criminals to pose as a legitimate network to lure in unsuspecting users. The MSI reports criminals can use rogue hotspots to launch man-in-the-middle attacks and spy on user activity.
• Easy-to-guess passwords and keys: Criminals have compiled lists of the most common pre-shared keys for hotspots based on their SSIDs or the wireless network name of the hotspot. If school hotspots have weak passwords or are still using their default pre-shared keys, criminals may potentially use them for illicit activities.