Having all the online security you can get is always welcome in the modern world of cyber threats. When thinking about securing your connection, NordVPN comes to mind as one of the safest providers you can currently get.
This VPN promises impenetrable security, bank-grade encryption, a no-logs policy, and everything we’ve come to expect from a reputable VPN service. However, the question is – is NordVPN safe and secure as it claims to be?
Is the service a scam perhaps? Well, I’ll tell you right away that NordVPN is all but a scam. When it comes to its safety and security, I’ll do my best to present its security features, check out its privacy policy, and test it for potential IP and DNS leaks.
All of this should tell you if NordVPN is safe to use, making it easy to decide whether or not to buy it.
Is NordVPN Safe to Use? Security Features Examined
To answer the question “Is NordVPN safe?”, I’ll need to analyze some of its crucial security features. After all, these features and their functions are going to determine how safe you are from various cyber threats. The following is a bit of an extension of my NordVPN review.
6300 servers
111 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.8 /10
256-bit AES Encryption
Bank-grade encryption is a staple of every secure VPN. The provider did its homework, introducing it to its already reliable VPN service. Just for reference, 256-bit encryption is also used by governments and the military to secure confidential information.
Therefore, while using NordVPN, your connection will be 100% safe and away from the prying eyes of hackers, snoopers, and your Internet Service Provider. Important to mention that the choice of the protocol doesn’t influence the level of encryption you get.
Thus, you can always enjoy the highest level of encryption no matter which VPN protocol you’re using.
Automatic Kill Switch
The answer to the question “Is NordVPN safe and secure?” is simple when you have a kill switch. A kill switch automatically shuts down your internet connection when you lose the connection to a VPN server, preventing your IP from leaking to the public.
Beware that NordVPN’s kill switch works a bit differently. Once turned on, it prevents you from accessing the internet unless you connect to one of its servers. While some people dislike the way it works, it’s how the provider keeps you safe online.
Double VPN
Another vital feature is called Double VPN. Double VPN is a group of servers that will route your traffic through two different servers, which adds another layer of encryption and makes your connection even more secure.
It’s easy to see why it’s called Double VPN – because it doubles the encryption you get. NordVPN offers pre-determined pairs of servers and it takes one click to connect to any of them.
When connected to one of them, your traffic will be routed through these two servers before arriving at its destination. Because of that, there’s no way even for the most skilled hacker to trace your location or read your traffic, ensuring total privacy.
Threat Protection
Threat Protection is one of the newest additions to NordVPN’s roster. It’s basically a suite of security features that can block malware-ridden sites, stop web tracking, block malicious ads, and protect your device from infected files.
What’s more, Threat Protection includes a comprehensive malware scanner. Through it, you can easily clean your computer of malware that often has tracking abilities or the ability to mine crypto for a hacker using your device.
While we’re here, Threat Protection works really well for blocking malicious sites and annoying ads. Once enabled, you won’t get annoying pop-ups and ads anymore, which will speed up the page loading time and make your browsing smoother.
Dark Web Monitor
Dark Web Monitor is a feature that keeps an eye on the dark web to find leaked information related to your email address. Simply put, if this information is exposed to the public, NordVPN will notify you so that you can take action.
Once I tried it out for the first time, I was appalled to see two alerts of my email being exposed. However, I quickly resolved the issue thanks to NordVPN.
Meshnet
NordVPN Meshnet is a revolutionary feature introduced recently. This feature is unique to this VPN and is made for several purposes, such as hosting secure LAN parties and remote control. Meshnet lets you connect up to 60 devices and remotely access them, share files, route your traffic, and so on.
We found Meshnet very useful for transferring files, for example. It’s easy to connect to your friend’s computer, laptop, tablet, or phone, and just send the files you want. Additionally, you can use another device’s IP address to go online, which can be useful for getting over geo-blocks, for example.
Meshnet’s gaming capabilities are also here, as hosting a secure LAN party lets you play games online with friends without the fear of DDoS attacks or hackers. Besides, Meshnet uses bank-grade encryption and is based on NordLynx, NordVPN’s revolutionary protocol.
Looking at NordVPN’s roster of features, no doubt that Meshnet is one of the most impressive and cutting-edge. Having in mind it’s available in every plan for free, and on every device, we highly recommend trying it out. You’ll be in awe of how well it works.
Private DNS
Private DNS is a standard feature in top-of-the-line VPNs like this one. Is NordVPN safe when it comes to keeping your DNS queries private? Absolutely! Private DNS is basically an in-house DNS server that will handle your DNS requests instead of your ISP.
This way, all DNS requests are routed through NordVPN’s server, which operates according to a no-logging policy. As a result, you’re left to browse privately, as your DNS requests can’t be intercepted by your ISP or third-party DNS services.
NordLynx
NordLynx is NordVPN’s proprietary protocol based on WireGuard. It’s here not only to give you a performance boost but also to complement overall security. In addition, OpenVPN is supported as well, making sure you have a tried-and-tested solution besides NordLynx.
Obfuscated Servers
Is NordVPN safe and secure? Well, I think the answer to that question is obvious when you have obfuscated servers. These servers are designed to bypass deep-packet inspection and circumvent firewalls.
In other words, these servers allow the VPN to work in China, keeping the users away from excessive surveillance and censorship. In my review of the service, they worked flawlessly, which makes it that much more useful.
Does NordVPN Store Logs? Analysis of Its Privacy Policy & Jurisdiction
The answer to the question of whether NordVPN is safe to use is a strong YES. However, let’s check its jurisdiction and logging practices to make sure we’re on the right path.
Where Is NordVPN Based?
The company is based in Panama and that’s a great thing. I’m sure Panama is a beautiful country and a part of that has to do with its non-invasive privacy laws. Think of it as an off-shore location. Besides, you can check the Panama Papers online and you’ll see what I mean.
This location is a rest haven for privacy, which is especially important for VPN companies. As such, NordVPN enjoys the privilege of not being harassed by the authorities for additional user-related information.
Compared to 5 Eyes locations like the US, the UK, or Australia, Panama is still a surveillance-free country that respects your privacy.
Is NordVPN Safe in Terms of Logging Practices?
Yes, it is.
The service comes with a no-logs policy that screams privacy. Upon checking it out, I found that the provider stores no logs of any information that could be traced back to you.
The information that the VPN doesn’t store includes your IP, geo-location, connection date, and duration, used bandwidth, websites you visit, browsing history, download history, DNS queries, and servers you used.
To make sure your subscription is functioning, it stores billing information and your email. And for potential troubleshooting, the VPN will store anonymized information related to telemetry, app diagnostics, and connectivity information.
Besides, this information leads NordVPN nowhere in finding out your identity and tracking your browsing activities. Therefore, you can be sure that your privacy will be intact once you connect to NordVPN’s servers.
Third-Party Audits
To answer the question “Is NordVPN safe?”, I’ll need to mention its two audits from PricewaterhouseCoopers, or PwC, as we call it.
The first audit was in 2018 and it proved its security on multiple levels. This includes all of its security features, servers, and even its no-logging policy. In 2021, PwC conducted research once again, testing all factors of the provider’s infrastructure.
Again, PwC determined that NordVPN’s claims were indeed true, as it proved that the VPN is both safe AND that it stores absolutely no logs. At the start of 2024, NordVPN underwent another third-party audit, this time, by Deloitte.
This audit was, again, aimed at the no-logging policy that the provider proudly offers. As you can guess, the audit was a colossal success, as Deloitte proved time and again that NordVPN’s RAM-only servers and privacy-friendly jurisdiction play a huge role in the VPN’s no-logging business model.
Simply put, Deloitte found that no data was kept on the servers, which you can find out more about by reading the full report on NordVPN’s site.
NordVPN Security Breach
One thing I quickly want to address is the security breach in 2018. Hackers managed to attack one of its servers in Finland and breach it. While the company admitted this in 2019, it also removed any concerns over security and privacy.
Namely, the attack was immediately detected and the breach was patched up, so pretty much no accounts were compromised at the time. That’s also because NordVPN stores no logs, so hackers couldn’t extract any relevant user information from the server.
Since then, the provider has undergone the three aforementioned audits as well as crucial security updates. Needless to say, no similar incidents have happened since then.
IP & DNS Leak Tests: Let’s See if There Are Any Leaks
If you’re still thinking about whether or not NordVPN is secure and reliable, let’s do a practical IP and DNS leak test. This time, I’ll use three server locations – the US, the UK, and Japan, to see if the service will leak any of my IP and DNS addresses.
Without using a VPN, my addresses look like this and I’m hiding my IP address for obvious reasons.
Now, I already tested all 3 server locations I mentioned on ipleak.net, so here are the results:
US:
UK:
Japan:
It’s safe to say that NordVPN shows no signs of leaks, further reinforcing its security claims.
So Is NordVPN Safe to Use?
With everything said, we should put the question of whether NordVPN is safe and secure to rest. Indeed, the VPN is 100% reliable and shows impressive levels of security and privacy. Not to mention a certified no-logging policy that guarantees that no logs are stored on its servers.
This, in conjunction with features like Threat Protection, a reliable kill switch, and Dark Web Monitor, ensures that your browsing adventures are completely anonymous. I think it’s safe to say that claiming its affordable 2-year plan is now an excellent option.
With a 30-day money-back guarantee in place, you can test it out risk-free without losing any money. But I doubt you’ll want to get a refund because, for the price, it’s hard to find a safer and more secure Virtual Private Network!
