Norton, the popular antivirus solution, has just revamped its VPN offering, making it a much safer option for Mac users by adding a kill switch.
In August, we reported how the updated Norton VPN may still put Apple users’ privacy at risk. The problem was that the VPN service still lacked a kill switch feature for its Mac and iOS apps, making it vulnerable to data leaks.
Now, four months later, this crucial security feature has finally arrived in its Mac VPN app. Support for its iOS app is also expected to arrive soon. In addition to a new kill switch for macOS, the provider has simplified its name, becoming simply ‘Norton VPN’ in three-tier plans.
New security features, new name
All of the best VPN apps include a kill switch. It is a guarantee that if the VPN connection fails due to any technical or connectivity issue, the Internet will be blocked. This is crucial from a privacy and security point of view, as it prevents you from accidentally sending identifiable data outside the encrypted VPN tunnel.
Each platform has its own tools to make this happen, and Apple devices notoriously require a more technical solution. Norton VPN has offered this feature in its Windows and Android VPNs for a while, and MacOS is finally catching up, with support for iOS also on the horizon.
When asked about this lack of support in August, a Norton spokesperson told TechRadar that macOS and iOS apps use the operating systems’ built-in IPsec client. These use an operating system feature called Connect on Demand, which forces the VPN to activate automatically whenever the device initiates any network activity.
At the time, the vendor ensured that the team was working on a fix to make the kill switch behavior “consistent across all of our supported platforms.” Now, they finally found it.
While their iPhone and iPad VPN apps still lack kill switch support at the time of writing, this is expected to be added soon. “Kill Switch on iOS is on the roadmap as part of planned product updates coming soon to further enhance Norton’s comprehensive VPN offering,” a Norton spokesperson could confirm.
However, it’s not just a new security feature that has arrived. Norton VPN has changed its name again. After moving from Norton Secure VPN to Norton Ultra VPN in August, the provider decided to further simplify its brand by simply becoming Norton VPN.
Commenting on this decision, Norton said: “The new naming structure is clearer and distinguishes the new Norton VPN product line from the old standalone Norton Secure VPN offering. Secondly, it makes it easier for people to understand the level of protection they have. obtaining from the three levels available.”
The provider now offers three plans, all of them including the new auto-shutoff feature.
Norton VPN Standard (formerly Norton Secure VPN) is the most basic product and covers up to a single device.
Norton VPN Plus (ex Norton Ultra VPN) increases device allocation to up to five. It also adds AI-powered scam detection, malware blocker, virus removal, password manager, dark web alert, and even 10GB of secure cloud backup.
The old Norton Ultra VPN Plus becomes Norton VPN Ultimate and extends coverage to 10 devices and 50GB of backup while adding some advanced parental control features.
In the August update, Norton VPN added global content access, service compatibility updates, more protocols across all three product tiers, and a new independent log-free audit to its arsenal. This latest addition puts Norton VPN on the path to hopefully greater heights in its secure service offering.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Access 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 tolerate illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Future Publishing does not endorse or condone the consumption of paid pirated content.
