NordVPN has announced that its Threat Protection Pro feature has been recognized as one of the leading tools in detecting phishing sites and NordVPN remains the only VPN with certified phishing protection.
NordVPN tops our best VPN list and the effectiveness of Threat Protection Pro is one of the reasons for that.
Testing by AV-Comparatives found that Threat Protection Pro detected and blocked 90% of phishing websites.
It's the second year in a row that NordVPN has received certification from AV-Comparitives – the company also rated it as the best VPN malware protection back in November 2024.
Threat Protection Pro is included in all NordVPN Plus plans and higher. Tom's Guide (and our friends at TechRadar) currently have an exclusive deal where you can purchase a two-year NordVPN Plus plan for $3.76 per month ($105.36 up front pre-tax).
With that, you'll get four extra months of protection for free, as well as a $20 Amazon gift card.
The only certified anti-phishing VPN
Many leading VPNs offer a form of threat protection but NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro is a consistently high performer.
AV-Comparatives, an independent testing lab, conducted its extensive testing between May 15 and 28 2025.
It aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Threat Protection Pro in detecting and blocking phishing websites. The tool was tested against 228 phishing URLs and 200 clean ones to see how well it would protect a user.
Threat Protection Pro detected 90% of phishing websites, exceeding the 85% success rate required by AV-Comparatives to be approved for its Anti-Phishing Protection certification.
The product must also not raise any false alarms with legitimate online banking and related sites.
Domininkas Virbickas, product director at Threat Protection said: "Phishing websites are one of the biggest threats to internet users worldwide."
"They steal personal data, login credentials, and financial information from unsuspecting users before redirecting them or disappearing entirely."
"We put our greatest effort into protecting our customers from the consequences caused by these sites."
How to protect yourself against phishing
Threat Protection Pro will do a great job at keeping harmful phishing sites at bay. But it's not perfect and there are actions you can take to further protect yourself.
Always be mindful of the links you're clicking on. Is it a genuine link for a genuine site? Who sent you the link? You should only click on links if you know they're safe.
Subtle character changes or shortened URLs can hide the true nature of malicious links, so always be vigilant and use features like Threat Protection Pro.
Never give out your personal information or login details unless you're 100% sure it's safe to do so.
If you get a text from your bank, or other seemingly reputable contact, never click on the links provided. Always ring them back and confirm the request's validity.
Make sure you secure your accounts with strong, complex, passwords. Many passwords can be cracked in seconds, so the more robust they are, the better.
The best password managers can generate and store secure passwords for you, so you don't need to rely on remembering them all yourself.
NordPass is a great password manager and it's included with NordVPN Plus plans and above.
Finally, enable two factor authentication (2FA). This acts as a second line of defence against hackers. If your password is compromised, 2FA provides an additional layer of security.
One-time codes are a common authentication step and a hacker won't be able to infiltrate your accounts without it. Many password managers, including NordPass, come with 2FA.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
