Key facts
NordVPN is a product from Nord Security.
Nord Security’s other products include NordVPN, NordPass (password manager), NordLocker (file encryption and storing tool), NordLayer (business VPN), Saily eSIM, NordProtect (identity theft protection, US only), and NordStellar (next-gen threat exposure management platform).
Servers
At the moment, NordVPN offers 7400+ servers in 118 countries.
These include the most popular locations: The United States, Germany, Japan, The United Kingdom and others.
The user is able to select a server from a number of specific cities in the US, France, Germany, France, and Canada.
Specialty servers:
Double VPN servers encrypt and send user traffic through two servers, adding an extra layer of security. Recommended for political activists, journalists working in hot spots, etc.
Onion Over VPN works as a standard server. However, traffic is also then routed through the Onion network, again, adding an extra layer of security.
Obfuscated servers “hide” the fact that a person is using a VPN, which can otherwise be identified. These servers work even in countries where VPNs are heavily restricted and allow you to bypass such restrictions as firewalls.
P2P (Peer-to-Peer) servers are optimized for fast and secure file sharing;
Dedicated IPs are not servers per se but rather individual IPs that do what regular servers do: encrypt traffic and hide the user’s real identity. Dedicated IPs are usually not available to all clients of a VPN provider but rather to one person or a small group of people who buy them.
Security
NordVPN uses the AES encryption standard with 256-bit keys, which is impossible to decrypt.
NordVPN also offers three different types of VPN protocols:
IKEv2/IPsec
OpenVPN
NordLynx (an adaptation of the WireGuard VPN protocol with a double NAT (Network Address Translation, which negates the possible WireGuard downside of privacy risks).
NordWhisper: a protocol that helps bypass network filters and firewalls for smoother, more reliable browsing. Ideal for travelers, professionals, and public Wi-Fi users, it ensures secure access without compromising privacy.
Servers in RAM. As of September 2020, the entire NordVPN server structure is running on diskless RAM servers, which means that no data is stored locally.
Colocated servers. Regarding server infrastructure, NordVPN has also started to build a network of colocated servers owned exclusively by NordVPN where only NordVPN staff can access them.
NordVPN also offers a Kill Switch feature, which cuts off the internet entirely, in case the connection between the device and NordVPN’s server goes down.
NordVPN is a four-times audited no-logs service.
Additional features
NordVPN offers Split Tunneling for Android and Windows devices. It allows redirecting only a portion of the traffic (e.g. an app) through a VPN server, while the rest of it is not routed via a server.
NordVPN’s CyberSec is a technology that blocks ads and access to malicious websites. Fully available on iOS, Mac, Windows, and Linux, malicious websites are blocked on Android.
Dark Web Monitor scans the dark web for credentials associated with the user’s email address.
NordVPN Presets function combines custom VPN settings (such as server selection) with shortcuts to apps or websites.
NordVPN offers MFA for account protection, it’s also possible to access NordAccount with Google credentials.
SmartPlay is a combination of VPN and Smart DNS features, which allows accessing content securely.
NordVPN apps automatically choose the fastest server in a selected country. One NordVPN account can secure up to 10 devices and is supported on Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, Mac, and Android TV.
tvOS, browser extensions, and others. NordVPN can also be used to secure the home router, in this way securing all devices connected to the home Wi-Fi.
Threat Protection Pro
Threat Protection is a feature by NordVPN, which provides an additional layer of security and is essentially a step beyond VPN protection.
Threat Protection is meant to provide safer browsing by blocking malicious websites, ads, and trackers, as well as identifying files infected with malware.
Recently, NordVPN Threat Protection Pro came in third place in an AV-Comparatives test of how well different tools detect fake shopping sites.
How does Threat Protection Pro work?
Malware Blocking. Threat Protection prevents users from accidentally visiting malicious websites and scans downloaded files for Malware, deleting dangerous ones before they can do any damage.
Threat Protection runs deep scans on all executable files that are up to 20MB in size. It does not scan files that might contain personal information, such as PDFs or.DOCXs.
Some files in flash drives can be scanned for Windows users, if they’re downloaded from the internet, for example.
Trackers. Threat Protection blocks third-party trackers, which collect private information.
Ads. Threat Protection blocks intrusive ads, such as pop-ups, which can not only be annoying, but dangerous too, as some can contain malware.
Always protected. Once set up, Threat Protection is always on, regardless of whether the user has a VPN connection.
Threat Protection Pro vs. Threat Protection:
Supported devices: Threat Protection Pro (Windows, macOS), Threat Protection (Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, browser extensions).
Functionality: Pro (Blocks malicious domains, phishing domains, ads, links, websites, trackers; scans files for malware), Threat Protection (Blocks malicious and phishing domains, some ads).
VPN Connection: Pro (Works without VPN), Threat Protection (Must be connected to VPN).
System impact: Pro (May use more resources), Threat Protection (Lightweight).
Browsing security: Pro (Significantly increases security), Threat Protection (Helps avoid dangerous domains and ads).
Meshnet
Meshnet is a feature by NordVPN that lets users access devices or encrypted private tunnels.
Instead of connecting to a VPN server, users can connect to other devices no matter where they are.
All traffic on Meshnet is encrypted, just like when connected to a VPN server.
Meshnet is powered by NordLynx – our more secure and enhanced adaptation of the WireGuard VPN protocol.
This opens up many new usage possibilities, including LAN gaming parties, file sharing, or remote device access.
How does Meshnet work?
In essence, Meshnet allows users to route their online traffic through another machine.
Users can add 10 devices of their own (under the same account) + 50 external devices (via invitations).
Meshnet is available on Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux.
At the moment, traffic routing is available on Windows and Linux devices, however, all other devices can connect to a Windows/Linux computer to route the traffic through.
To protect against unauthorized access, device pairings have to be authorized by users.
For this, each Nord account is given a unique name, used for these connections.
Alternatively, each device is assigned a unique IP address by NordVPN (not to be confused with the ISP IP address).
NordProtect
NordProtect is an identity theft protection service that safeguards your personal information and identity online.
It scans the web, databases, chatrooms, Dark Web, forums, etc., for your credentials, such as your Social security number (SSN), credit, or personal information, alerting you if any of it was leaked.
NordProtect also offers up to 1M USD for Identity theft recovery expenses, such as legal fees, lost wages, credit bureau reports, mental health counseling, and more.
Also, up to 100k USD to cover the costs related to you becoming a target of a cyber extortion attack. This includes professional assistance, payments made in response to threats, etc.
At the moment, it’s limited to US customers.
Customer support:
NordVPN offers 24/7 customer support.
Users can reach out via chat or email.
Background information
NordVPN was the first VPN provider to launch a public bug bounty program on HackerOne.
In 2019, NordVPN became one of the founding members of the VPN Trust Initiative (VTI). VTI aims to establish an industry-wide quality standard for all VPN services and educate the public about VPNs’ security benefits.
In 2020, Troy Hunt, a web security legend and the creator of haveibeenpwned.com, joined the Nord Security advisory board of independent experts.
In 2021, on International VPN Day (August 19th), NordVPN launched the National Privacy Test, which is meant to educate internet users on possible online threats and raise cybersecurity awareness.
More background information on NordVPN can be found here and here.
NordVPN was named one of TIME’s 2022 Best Inventions, as it appeared in the “Apps and Software” category, pointing out that NordVPN has been able to provide high-quality security without compromising on internet speed.
At the end of 2023, NordVPN has already completed a fourth independent audit to verify its no-logs claim that was carried out by Deloitte.
