NordVPN: Difference between revisions

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If data passes international borders it is subject to "bulk collection" by the Intelligence Community because of Executive Order 12333.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goitein |first=Elizabeth |date=15 Feb 2022 |title=How the CIA Is Acting Outside the Law to Spy on Americans |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/how-cia-acting-outside-law-spy-americans |url-status=live |access-date=26 Mar 2025 |website=Brennan Center}}</ref>

=== Tracking inside App ===

===Tracking inside App===

An analysis by German privacy blogger and activist Mike Kuketz found third party tracking services embedded into the apps of five different VPN services, including three in NordVPN's app (AppsFlyer, Google Crashlytics, and Google Firebase Analytics).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kuketz |first=Mike |date=2025-09-29 |title=VPN-Apps: Wenn »Sicherheits-Apps« selbst zum Risiko werden [VPN-Apps: When "Security-Apps" themselves become a risk] |url=https://www.kuketz-blog.de/vpn-apps-wenn-sicherheits-apps-selbst-zum-risiko-werden/ |access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Kuketz IT-Security}}</ref>

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He further notes that NordVPN's PR manager is using a NordVPN e-mail address which is hosted by Google, meaning any e-mail communication with the company over the same channels would be fully exposed to the advertising giant's data collection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kuketz |first=Mike |date=2025-10-20 |title=NordVPN bestreitet den Einsatz von Trackern – Doch ein App-Mitschnitt zeigt ein anderes Bild [NordVPN denies use of trackers – but an analysis of the app's traffic paints a different picture] |url=https://www.kuketz-blog.de/nordvpn-bestreitet-den-einsatz-von-trackern-doch-ein-app-mitschnitt-zeigt-ein-anderes-bild/ |access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Kuketz IT-Security}}</ref>

=== Data center breach ===

In March 2018 one of NordVPN's third party servers located in Finland was breached. According to official accounts<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why the NordVPN network is safe after a third-party provider breach |url=https://nordvpn.com/blog/official-response-datacenter-breach/ |website=NordVPN}}</ref> the attacker gained access to the server thanks to poor management on the data center part, which shortly after patched the issue but failed to make NordVPN aware of the breach until April 13, 2018.

No sensitive user data was stolen, but the attacker did get access to TLS keys which ''"under extraordinary circumstances, could be used to attack a single user on the web using a specifically targeted and highly sophisticated MITM attack"''.<ref name=":0" /> Said TLS keys were made public by the attacker on the website 8chan together with information relating to breaches of other VPN providers such as TorGuard and VikingVPN.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 Oct 2019 |title=NordVPN Hack – Everything You Need to Know |url=https://cyberinsider.com/nordvpn-hack/}}</ref>

NordVPN released an official statement more than a year later, only after a researcher on [https://x.com/ X] revealed that NordVPN ''"was compromised at some point"''.<ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=20 Oct 2019 |title=So apparently NordVPN was compromised at some point |url=https://x.com/hexdefined/status/1185864801261477891}}</ref> This was followed by significant turmoil within the community, as individuals remained uninformed for all of this time. According to NordVPN, the delay was justified by an internal audit they were executing of all of their servers which they wanted to complete before notifying the public, making sure that the attack could not be replicated.<ref name=":0" />

NordVPN has since taken down the affected server and terminated the contract with the data center. A security plan was later announced as well.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=How NordVPN will become more secure than ever |url=https://nordvpn.com/blog/security-plan/}}</ref>

==Consumer friendly alternatives==

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 If data passes international borders it is subject to "bulk collection" by the Intelligence Community because of Executive Order 12333.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goitein |first=Elizabeth |date=15 Feb 2022 |title=How the CIA Is Acting Outside the Law to Spy on Americans |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/how-cia-acting-outside-law-spy-americans |url-status=live |access-date=26 Mar 2025 |website=Brennan Center}}</ref>
-=== Tracking inside App ===
+===Tracking inside App===
 An analysis by German privacy blogger and activist Mike Kuketz found third party tracking services embedded into the apps of five different VPN services, including three in NordVPN's app (AppsFlyer, Google Crashlytics, and Google Firebase Analytics).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kuketz |first=Mike |date=2025-09-29 |title=VPN-Apps: Wenn »Sicherheits-Apps« selbst zum Risiko werden [VPN-Apps: When "Security-Apps" themselves become a risk] |url=https://www.kuketz-blog.de/vpn-apps-wenn-sicherheits-apps-selbst-zum-risiko-werden/ |access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Kuketz IT-Security}}</ref>
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 He further notes that NordVPN's PR manager is using a NordVPN e-mail address which is hosted by Google, meaning any e-mail communication with the company over the same channels would be fully exposed to the advertising giant's data collection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kuketz |first=Mike |date=2025-10-20 |title=NordVPN bestreitet den Einsatz von Trackern – Doch ein App-Mitschnitt zeigt ein anderes Bild [NordVPN denies use of trackers – but an analysis of the app's traffic paints a different picture] |url=https://www.kuketz-blog.de/nordvpn-bestreitet-den-einsatz-von-trackern-doch-ein-app-mitschnitt-zeigt-ein-anderes-bild/ |access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Kuketz IT-Security}}</ref>
+=== Data center breach ===
+In March 2018 one of NordVPN's third party servers located in Finland was breached. According to official accounts<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why the NordVPN network is safe after a third-party provider breach |url=https://nordvpn.com/blog/official-response-datacenter-breach/ |website=NordVPN}}</ref> the attacker gained access to the server thanks to poor management on the data center part, which shortly after patched the issue but failed to make NordVPN aware of the breach until April 13, 2018.
+No sensitive user data was stolen, but the attacker did get access to TLS keys which ''"under extraordinary circumstances, could be used to attack a single user on the web using a specifically targeted and highly sophisticated MITM attack"''.<ref name=":0" />  Said TLS keys were made public by the attacker on the website 8chan together with information relating to breaches of other VPN providers such as TorGuard and VikingVPN.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 Oct 2019 |title=NordVPN Hack – Everything You Need to Know |url=https://cyberinsider.com/nordvpn-hack/}}</ref>
+NordVPN released an official statement more than a year later, only after a researcher on [https://x.com/ X] revealed that NordVPN ''"was compromised at some point"''.<ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=20 Oct 2019 |title=So apparently NordVPN was compromised at some point |url=https://x.com/hexdefined/status/1185864801261477891}}</ref> This was followed by significant turmoil within the community, as individuals remained uninformed for all of this time. According to NordVPN, the delay was justified by an internal audit they were executing of all of their servers which they wanted to complete before notifying the public, making sure that the attack could not be replicated.<ref name=":0" />
+NordVPN has since taken down the affected server and terminated the contract with the data center. A security plan was later announced as well.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=How NordVPN will become more secure than ever |url=https://nordvpn.com/blog/security-plan/}}</ref>
 ==Consumer friendly alternatives==