- NordVPN blocked 92% of phishing websites in AV-Comparatives test
- NordVPN Threat Protection Pro ranked 4th among tested products
- NordVPN Threat Protection Pro is available for first-tier subscribers
NordVPN’s phishing protection blocked 92% of malicious websites in AV-Comparatives’ latest round of testing, reaffirming its excellent security capabilities and further cementing its status as TechRadar’s best VPN on the market today.
The independent Austria-based lab evaluated the phishing detection capabilities of antivirus products, browsers and VPNs using a total of 250 phishing URLs.
The evaluation, which took place between January 7 and 19, 2026, confirmed the effectiveness of NordVPN’s anti-malware tool, Threat Protection Pro. NordVPN’s cybersecurity gem placed fourth overall, just behind (in order) Norton Antivirus Plus, Avast Free Antivirus, and Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus. This proves that VPN is not only great for boosting online privacy but also serves as a bulletproof shield against scams.
A complete 360 degree protection solution
Launched in June 2024, NordVPN Threat Protection Pro protects users against phishing and various other online dangers, including tracking, malware, ads, and scams. The tool works at the network level, analyzing all traffic directly on the customer’s device without the need for an active VPN connection to benefit from its protection.
The product launched as a revamped version of NordVPN’s tracker blocker, offering a superior alternative to its DNS-based predecessor Threat Protection (formerly known as Lite), which blocks malicious websites, trackers, and ads at the domain level only.
Threat Protection Pro remains exclusive to higher-tier subscriptions, including Plus, Complete, and Ultra, on Windows and macOS only.
If AV-Comparatives’ latest results seem like déjà vu, that’s because they are: the tool has already achieved high rankings in previous AV-Comparative tests.
However, despite its impressive performance in 2026, NordVPN lost its place on the podium, falling to fourth place. The provider previously won bronze in a similar test conducted in January 2025 (when Threat Protection Pro scored 93%). As of July, NordVPN is also tied for third place, with a ranking supported by a 90% detection rate across 1,000 phishing URLs tested during the year.
Nevertheless, the latest results continue to strengthen Threat Protection Pro’s excellent reputation after NordVPN became the first VPN service provider to be approved by AV-Comparatives for anti-phishing protection in 2024. In August of the same year, the product also ranked third among 35 competitors.
Additionally, Threat Protection Pro was recognized by two other independent auditors in 2024, AV-TEST and West Coast Labs (WCL), who awarded the tool two gold medals for phishing detection.
Phishing – a growing threat
The abundance of phishing attacks in the digital world means that the chances of falling victim to a single wrong click – and accidentally revealing crucial information such as personal identifying information and financial details – are high.
Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN, warns: “Phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated, often fooling even cautious users with convincing replicas of trusted websites. »
Even though the latest results show that NordVPN remains a valuable ally in the fight against such threats, the VPN expert still recommends keeping your eyes open and always practicing healthy “cyber hygiene”.
Tips for safe browsing include checking the URL in the browser’s address bar for any domain name changes that could indicate a fake site, especially making sure the website you are visiting uses HTTPS, as fake websites often only use HTTP.
An email containing alarming content or grammatical errors should arouse suspicion. And of course, always remember to enable more secure forms of authentication, starting with two-factor authentication (2FA), for greater peace of mind.
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