- NordVPN blocked 92% of phishing websites in AV-Comparatives test
- NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro ranked fourth among products tested
- NordVPN Threat Protection Pro is available for premium subscribers
NordVPN’s phishing protection has blocked 92% of malicious websites in the latest round of testing by AV-Comparatives, reaffirming its stellar security capabilities and further cementing its status as TechRadar’s best VPN on the market today.
The Austria-based independent lab evaluated the phishing detection capabilities of antivirus, browser, and VPN products 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 ranked fourth overall, behind only (in order) Norton Antivirus Plus, Avast Free Antivirus, and Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus. This shows that VPN is not only great for increasing online privacy, but is also a bulletproof shield against scams.
A complete 360-degree protection solution
Launched in June 2024, NordVPN Threat Protection Pro protects users from phishing and a variety of other online dangers, including tracking, malware, ads, and scams. The tool works at the network level, scanning all traffic directly on the client’s device without needing an active VPN connection to benefit from its protection.
The product was launched as a revamped version of NordVPN’s tracker blocker, offering a superior alternative to its DNS Threat Protection-based predecessor (previously known as Lite), which blocks malicious websites, trackers, and ads only at the domain level.
Threat Protection Pro remains exclusive to higher-tier subscriptions, including Plus, Complete, and Ultra, only on Windows and macOS.
If the latest results from AV-Comparatives seem like déjà vu, that’s because they are: the tool has already earned high marks in previous AV-Comparative tests.
However, despite its impressive performance in 2026, NordVPN lost its place on the podium and fell to fourth place. The vendor had already won bronze in a similar test conducted in January 2025 (when Threat Protection Pro scored 93%). In July, NordVPN also tied for third place, with a ranking supported by a 90% detection rate among 1,000 phishing URLs analyzed during the year.
However, the latest results continue to reinforce Threat Protection Pro’s stellar reputation after NordVPN became the first VPN service provider approved by AV-Comparatives for anti-phishing protection in 2024. In August of that year, the product also ranked as the third best software for avoiding online shopping scams among 35 competitors.
Additionally, Threat Protection Pro earned recognition from two other independent auditors in 2024, AV-TEST and West Coast Labs (WCL), who awarded the tool two gold medals in 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 like personal credentials and financial details) are high.
Domininkas Virbickas, Product Manager at NordVPN, warns: “Phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated and often trick even cautious users with convincing replicas of trusted websites.”
Although the latest results show that NordVPN remains a valuable ally in the fight against these types of 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 changes to the domain name that may indicate a fake site, particularly making sure that the website you are visiting uses the HTTPS protocol, as fake websites often only use HTTP.
An email with alarming content or grammatical errors should raise suspicion. And of course, always remember to enable more secure forms of authentication, starting with two-factor authentication (2FA), for added peace of mind.
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