Since you don’t want to risk getting exposed online by not being properly protected, it’s crucial to understand what features NordVPN offers to keep you truly safe. Fortunately, NordVPN isn’t popular without reason. It’s considered one of the best VPNs available today, thanks to its wide range of extra features designed for maximum protection.
If you’ve never used a VPN before, it’s completely understandable if all the options feel a little overwhelming. That’s exactly what I’ll help you with today. By the end of this blog, you’ll know exactly what each feature does. And whether NordVPN is the right choice to keep you safe, private, and confident online.
Overview
- NordVPN Kill Switch
- NordVPN WireGuard Protocol
- Double VPN: Extra Security with NordVPN
- DNS Protection By NordVPN
- NordVPN Proxy Servers
- Obfuscated Servers
- Does NordVPN Keep Logs?
- NordVPN Threat Protection
- NordVPN P2P Traffic
- NordVPN Server Locations & Streaming
- Conclusion
NordVPN Kill Switch
You use a VPN to stay protected against all online risks and threats. However, if your VPN doesn’t have a kill switch. Or if you’re not using it, you can still fall victim to hacking or data theft. Without a kill switch, your digital security will not be as strong as it should be.
A kill switch ensures that whenever your connection to the VPN drops, your entire internet connection is immediately blocked. This way, you don’t risk IP address leaks or data exposure. Because when your VPN connection suddenly drops, hackers or other individuals could have a brief window to intercept your data.
If you’re using a trusted VPN like NordVPN, the chances of a connection drop are low.
Still, accidents can happen. And if they do, the kill switch guarantees that you remain protected at all times.
Want to learn more about NordVPN’s killswitch? Check out our full breakdown here.
NordVPN WireGuard Protocol
Without a protocol like WireGuard (also called NordLynx when used by NordVPN), your VPN would be much less secure and reliable. A VPN protocol like this creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and the VPN server, ensuring that no one can openly view or steal your data.
WireGuard is one of the newest VPN protocols on the market today. It’s much more advanced compared to older protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2. WireGuard is more lightweight and uses fewer lines of code, making it not only faster but also easier to audit for security flaws.
NordVPN developed its own version of WireGuard called NordLynx. They added even more privacy features compared to the standard WireGuard protocol to overcome some potential weaknesses and flaws. Making it even more secure than it already was.
Thanks to WireGuard, you can enjoy faster connection speeds, improved stability, and stronger protection against data leaks. This is crucial, especially when you’re streaming, gaming, or downloading large files. With NordLynx, your connection will always stay both fast and secure.
Even though older protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2 are still very reliable, you might sometimes experience slower speeds or connection drops, which can increase the risk of sensitive information being leaked.
Double VPN: Extra Security with NordVPN
If you thought one single VPN wasn’t enough, you’re thinking the same way as NordVPN. They offer a Double VPN feature to protect you even better than a regular VPN connection already does. If you’re sending extremely sensitive information, it can be a smart idea to use NordVPN’s Double VPN.
What it does is connect you to two different servers. Your information first travels to the first VPN server, then to the second server, and only then continues to the internet. Since each server encrypts your data, you’ll have double encryption. This way, you’ll be extra protected and anonymous.
However, there can be a downside to using Double VPN. Since your connection travels through two VPN servers, your internet speed may be slightly slower. Luckily, NordVPN has optimized their Double VPN so well that the speed remains faster than you might expect.
Additionally, this double encryption is definitely not necessary if you’re just browsing normally, watching Netflix, or doing regular online activities. It’s purely an extra security measure for specific cases, For instance, when you’re sending very sensitive information, living in a country with heavy internet censorship, or when you simply want to be absolutely sure you stay anonymous.
DNS Protection By NordVPN
When you’re surfing online to visit a website, your device first needs to figure out which IP address belongs to that website. To do this, it sends a request to a DNS server. However, even if you’re connected to a VPN, a DNS leak can still occur.
This happens because your device might continue using your normal DNS server, allowing others to see which websites you are trying to visit. Even if your connection itself is encrypted.
With NordVPN’s DNS protection, your DNS requests are also encrypted and securely routed through NordVPN’s private DNS servers. This way, there’s no possibility for anyone to see which websites you’re accessing. It protects you against DNS leaks and helps prevent tracking by internet providers, hackers, or other individuals with bad intentions.
NordVPN Proxy Servers
NordVPN’s proxy feature is an additional option, but it’s separate from the full protection of the VPN itself. NordVPN provides access to SOCKS5 proxy servers, which are very fast and mainly focus on hiding your IP address.
However, a SOCKS5 proxy does not encrypt your internet traffic. It can be a very good option for torrenting or when you just want to browse anonymously at maximum speed, rather than with maximum security. A SOCKS5 proxy protects your location, but hackers, ISPs, or other third parties could still potentially see what you’re doing online if you are not using additional encryption.
Obfuscated Servers
Obfuscated servers are another special feature offered by NordVPN. These servers are designed to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN. As VPNs have become more popular, more websites and networks have started blocking access for users who connect via a VPN.
This is exactly where obfuscated servers help. They make your VPN traffic look like regular internet traffic. That way, you can stay protected without raising suspicion.
Obfuscated servers are particularly useful in countries where VPN use is restricted or even illegal, such as China, Russia, or Turkey.They also add an extra layer of privacy, because nobody can easily tell that you are encrypting and protecting your data with a VPN.
Does NordVPN Keep Logs?
A commonly asked question is whether NordVPN keeps logs, because if they did, their trustworthiness would decrease massively. Luckily, NordVPN does not keep logs. It is one of the best VPN providers that has proven it doesn’t store any important user data.
They have even had their no-logs policy independently audited. The most famous audit was conducted by PwC Switzerland, which confirmed that NordVPN does not keep any activity or connection logs.
It is very important that a VPN does not store any logs because otherwise, they could track what you are doing online. Exactly what you are trying to hide. The only information NordVPN saves is your email address for the account (which you can make anonymous if you want) and payment details (which can also be anonymous if you pay with cryptocurrency).
Another strong point is that NordVPN is based in Panama, a country without mandatory data retention laws and known for being privacy-friendly. This allows NordVPN to legally maintain its no-logs policy without pressure from local authorities.
An important part of NordVPN’s no logs policy is that even if authorities demanded user data, NordVPN would have nothing to hand over. This makes NordVPN an especially safe option compared to many other VPN providers.
NordVPN Threat Protection
This is where a VPN can actually protect you from hackers. Threat Protection is an extra layer that NordVPN offers to protect you against various online threats. When you use a VPN without features like Threat Protection, you can still be an easy target for malware, trackers, ads, phishing scams, or dangerous files when downloading something.
It’s great to stay anonymous thanks to a VPN, but if you get hacked and your device becomes infected, your privacy means very little. Threat Protection is a feature that even works when you are not actively connected to a VPN server. It constantly checks the websites you visit for safety. If it detects that a website might be unsafe, it will automatically block your access to protect you.
Additionally, when you download files, Threat Protection will scan them for potential malware.
If a file is found to be dangerous, the download will be stopped and you will receive a warning. Even things like trackers and intrusive ads can be blocked by Threat Protection.
Threat Protection is kind of like having an antivirus and an ad blocker in one. The main difference is that it does not actively scan your device for existing threats. Instead, it focuses on preventing threats from reaching your device in the first place.
NordVPN P2P Traffic
When you’re torrenting something via P2P, it’s important to use a VPN. Without a good VPN, you could get into serious trouble. Other users can see your real IP address and location, and you could accidentally download malware or copyrighted material.
To be clear, torrenting itself is not illegal, as long as the files you download are legal. However, many internet providers will slow down your connection (throttle your speed) when they detect torrenting activity.
NordVPN offers special servers that are optimized for P2P traffic. These servers ensure that you can maintain high download speeds while keeping your identity and activity private.
Combined with Threat Protection, which helps block malware and dangerous downloads. NordVPN is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to download files safely and anonymously via P2P networks.
NordVPN Server Locations & Streaming
NordVPN has more than 7,484 servers in over 150 different countries worldwide, making it one of the best VPNs for streaming. Whether you want to access American Netflix or stream Japanese anime, NordVPN ensures that you can enjoy all the content you want.
This is also where Obfuscated Servers come into play. Many streaming services have started blocking VPN usage, but when you use these special servers, they won’t be able to detect that you’re using a VPN.
Additionally, NordVPN is not only ideal for streaming but also for bypassing other geographical restrictions. In some cases, websites, social media platforms, or even banking websites may be restricted based on your location. With NordVPN, you’ll always have access to the websites or content you need, no matter where you are.
Conclusion
NordVPN isn’t one of the biggest VPNs in the world for no reason. It’s a VPN you can trust, offering all the features you need. Whether you want to stay private, protect your location, or stream your favorite Netflix series, NordVPN is a great fit for almost everyone.
With its comprehensive set of standard and additional features, it is always up-to-date to provide the best security and the fastest speeds. And the best part in my opinion, you can try it risk free for 30 days. No matter the reason. If you’re not satisfied with how it works, you’ll get your money back.
