Remote learning has always provided an alternative to in-person learning. Teachers use cloud-based applications in every discipline to promote student cooperation. In addition, they would provide teleconference assistance and access to academic materials.
The use of remote access solutions by educational institutions has been increasing since COVID-19, which allows students and teachers to use school computers from home safely.
In this article, we will look at the top five remote access solutions for education.
VPNs at the school, college, and university level
Although VPNs are often advertised as privacy solutions, they were originally developed to expand private networks. VPNs, when properly installed, are extremely easy solutions that offer remote, secure access to school networks.
VPNs utilize strong encryption technologies to provide a secure connection between remote users (students) and their school servers. Remote students can use a VPN to access school resources such as files, databases, particular servers, or the whole institution’s intranet.
Remote Desktop Software.
Remote desktop is a common access capability present in practically all operating systems, as well as commercial and open-source applications. It enables anybody (from across the room or over the globe) to have complete control over a desktop computer via the established session.
As a student, if I connect to the school’s digital library from home, the system can review my IP address and help troubleshoot connectivity issues.
Some popular solutions exist, such as TeamViewer, AnyDesk, and UltraVNC. Remote desktops often include screen sharing, file transfers, mobile connectivity, and chat services.
Remote education allows for the creation of comprehensive remote classes, complete with screen-sharing webinars, online conferences, collaboration, and other features.
Software-Defined Perimeters
The term “Software-Defined Perimeters” (SDP) refers to network barriers entirely software-based and independent of hardware. SDPs are sometimes known as “Black Clouds” since they hide the internet-facing equipment.
These dark clouds are impervious to hacking or assaults. The purpose of SDPs is to control access to resources through Identity Access Management (IAM) so they can only be accessed by authorized users.
Remote access to cloud networks.
Although many educational institutions still use on-premises infrastructure, a significant proportion are transitioning to fully cloud-based networks and SaaS applications. On-premises infrastructure is becoming smaller, and a significant portion is migrating to the cloud.
If instructors and students have an internet connection, they can use cloud-based materials and SaaS apps like Office 365, Zoom, Google Apps, and WebEx.
Cloud-based Secure Channel.
A cloud-based secure channel is one of the most complete and secure alternatives for remote access. Secure remote access is essential for schools and educational organizations. The remote access solutions establish an encrypted link between the distant user and the private network via the cloud.
This seems similar to what a VPN accomplishes; however, it routes the encrypted communications via its cloud-based, 3-layer protection. It monitors the channel’s traffic, authenticates users, and blocks hack attempts.