TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (PRWEB) February 15, 2018 -- ExpressVPN, the market leader in consumer VPNs, is delighted to announce the launch of the third year of the ExpressVPN Future of Privacy Scholarship.
Open to high school, undergraduate, or graduate students in the United States or United Kingdom, the scholarship program was developed to raise awareness around issues of internet privacy, data security, and free speech. The winning applicant, evaluated based on essays written in response to the digital privacy-related prompt, will receive a US$5,000 cash scholarship from ExpressVPN.
Knowing how to protect one’s privacy and security online has never been more important, particularly for millenials, who are digital natives. 2017 saw some of the most high-profile cybersecurity incidents we’ve ever seen—from the Equifax hack, which exposed the information of over 145 million consumers, to the discovery of the KRACK vulnerability, which essentially breaking Wi-Fi encryption for every network and device.
In a study conducted by Propeller Insights on behalf of ExpressVPN in November 2017, over two-thirds (70 percent) of Americans indicated concerns about their online privacy in 2018. The study of more than 1,000 U.S. adults age 18+ revealed that Americans are most worried that:
Credit score trust will be lost due to Equifax data breach – 33 percent
Anything kept in the cloud could suddenly be hacked – 29 percent
Trump administration will increase surveillance of Americans – 27 percent
Health information could be made public – 23 percent
A data breach could expose their private photos – 17 percent
However, most Americans (63 percent) also admitted to gambling with their online privacy in other respects as well. Top offenses include using the same password for multiple sites and apps (36 percent), using public Wi-Fi without using a VPN (34 percent), and failing to backup important files (21 percent).
Applications for the ExpressVPN Future of Privacy Scholarship are open from February 15 to August 31, 2018. Students can apply by submitting a 300- to 400-word essay in response to the following prompt: If you had the combined powers of all the world’s leaders, what would be your 10-year plan to ensure the next generation has the right to privacy?
The winning essayist will be awarded with a cash prize of US$5,000. The winner will be notified by email and announced publicly at https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/ and https://www.expressvpn.com/expressvpn-scholarship on or before October 31, 2018.
This scholarship is open to attendees of U.S.- and U.K.-based universities only. However, there is no nationality requirement.
Full application details, competition guidelines, and awards information are available on the ExpressVPN scholarship page.
About ExpressVPN
One of the world’s largest providers of VPN services, ExpressVPN enables users worldwide to protect their privacy and security online with just a few clicks. The company's award-winning apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, and browsers secure user information and identities with best-in-class encryption and leak-proofing. With 2,000+ servers across 94 countries and new servers added each week, ExpressVPN provides a fast connection wherever you are and offers uncensored access to sites and services from across the globe. Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN has been operating since 2009.
A vocal advocate for internet freedom and privacy, ExpressVPN is a proud financial supporter of non-profit organizations fighting to protect our digital rights, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Internet Defense League, OpenMedia, and others.
To learn more about ExpressVPN’s privacy and security solutions, visit [expressvpn.com
Alessandra Nagy, Bospar, +1 (714) 310-4439, [email protected]
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