Why do I need to disable my VPN? To protect sensitive SOU systems like Workday and Banner, we actively block traffic from known VPN and private relay services. Because attackers frequently hide behind these services to target institutions, legitimate users must disconnect from their personal VPNs before trying to access certain sensitive SOU applications.
Where supported, we highly encourage you to use your VPN’s “app exclusion” or “split tunneling” feature. This allows your VPN to automatically bypass SOU’s Okta and Workday sites so you do not have to manually disable your VPN every time you log in. The primary website you need to exclude is okta.sou.edu. You should also exclude myworkday.com and appnav-prod.ec.sou.edu.
Below are brief instructions and support links for disabling some of the most common personal VPN services.
Apple iCloud Private Relay
Apple allows you to temporarily show your IP address for a specific website, or disable Private Relay entirely for your current Wi-Fi/Cellular network.
- To allow for a specific website (Safari):
- iPhone/iPad: Tap the Page Menu button in the address bar, then tap Show IP Address.
- Mac: In the top menu bar, choose View > Reload and Show IP Address.
- To disable for your current Wi-Fi network:
- iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap the More Info (i) button next to your connected network, and toggle off Limit IP Address Tracking.
- Mac: Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Network. Click your active network, click Details, and turn off Limit IP address tracking.
- More info: Manage iCloud Private Relay
Google VPN
- How to exclude the Okta/Workday apps (Recommended):
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet > VPN > VPN by Google.
- Tap Exclude selected apps.
- Tap the Add (+) icon next to the apps you want to exclude from the VPN, such as the web browser you intend to use to visit protected SOU websites.
- How to turn off completely:
- Go to Settings > Network & internet > VPN > VPN by Google.
- Toggle off Use VPN.
- More info: Connect to a Virtual Private Network
Mozilla VPN
- How to disable for a specific website (Recommended):
- Navigate to the SOU website in your Firefox browser.
- In the top right corner, click the Mozilla VPN extension icon.
- Check the box labeled Always turn off VPN protection. The VPN icon in your URL bar will now appear crossed out while on this site.
- More info: Disable VPN protection for a specific website
DuckDuckGo VPN
- How to exclude apps or websites (Recommended):
- Open the DuckDuckGo browser.
- Tap the menu icon (three dots or three lines).
- Go to Settings > VPN.
- Select Excluded Apps or Excluded Websites (website exclusion is not currently available on Android).
- Select the SOU apps or websites you want to bypass the VPN.
- How to turn off completely: If a site fails to load and exclusions aren’t working, open your DuckDuckGo VPN settings and temporarily turn the VPN off before reloading the page.
- More info: DuckDuckGo VPN Troubleshooting
For All Other VPN Providers
Look up instructions from your VPN provider's support website for excluding websites or establishing split tunnel connections. When it doubt, you can always disable your private VPN service for the duration of your connection with SOU's apps.
If you are still experiencing login issues after disabling your VPN or configuring your exclusions, please contact the SOU IT Helpdesk at 541-552-6900 or at helpdesk@sou.edu.
Add a comment
Please log in to submit a comment.