NordVPN validated in independent security and performance evaluation by West Coast Labs

Third-party testing confirms strong results in speed, leak protection, and overall system efficiency

LONDON, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NordVPN, a leading cybersecurity service, has achieved exceptional results in independent testing conducted by West Coast Labs (WCL), a globally recognized technical research and product testing organization.

The evaluation, carried out under AMTSO (Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization) guidelines, assessed NordVPN’s performance across key technical categories, confirming its reliability, speed, and security.

“Independent testing is one of the most honest measures of our work. This evaluation confirms that NordVPN delivers strong security while maintaining high levels of speed and usability — a result we’re proud to stand behind,” says Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN.

Performance and security benchmarks

WCL's tests used Windows 11/10 applications on a high-speed 1Gbps uplink, comparing NordVPN against three randomly selected, undisclosed competitors. The results highlighted NordVPN’s industry-leading capabilities in speed, security, and reliability.

The WCL assessment focused on main areas of VPN performance:

VPN functionality – Verified that key features such as auto-launch on boot, auto-connect, internet kill switch, and split tunneling performed correctly and consistently, ensuring a secure connection setup.
Speed performance – Measured download/upload speeds, latency, and connection time across seven global regions. Compared to undisclosed competitors, NordVPN delivered 15.2% faster downloads, 12.4% faster uploads, and 7.9% lower latency.
Security and leak protection – Eight separate leak scenarios were tested, including IP address, DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak checks, as well as protection during server switching, Wi-Fi hotspot changes, and mobile data transitions. The evaluation also included two advanced cases: a split-tunneling flaw and the TunnelVision attack — a known vulnerability that can be particularly challenging to defend against. NordVPN passed all scenarios, demonstrating strong leak protection even under complex conditions.
Website accessibility – Tested access to 100 of the most visited websites before and after connecting to the VPN. All websites remained accessible with 100% success, although a small number of Cloudflare CAPTCHA challenges were triggered in some cases while connected to NordVPN.
VPN time to connect – The average time for NordVPN to establish a secure tunnel was 1.67 seconds, making it 36.1% faster than the industry average. This was measured from the moment a user initiated a connection to the point when traffic was securely routed through the VPN.
System resource impact while connected to VPN – During browsing tests, NordVPN showed a minimal impact on system performance, with memory usage increasing by just 1.1% and processor usage by 3.8% compared to operating without a VPN connection.

“This evaluation reflects the work we’ve put into making NordVPN fast, reliable, and secure. We design it to work quietly in the background — quick to connect, light on system resources, and ready to protect across a range of scenarios, including those that test for serious vulnerabilities like TunnelVision. It’s good to see those goals confirmed,” says Briedis.

ABOUT WEST COAST LABS

West Coast Labs is an independent security testing and research organization based in the US. Known for evaluating and certifying cybersecurity products, the organization assesses the effectiveness of security solutions against real-world threats, such as viruses, malware, and cyberattacks. The company strives to perform its tests “in a secure, real-world test environment and within a framework of confidentiality that ensures integrity of information and test data.” The cybersecurity industry widely regards certification by WCL as a significant achievement.

ABOUT NORDVPN

NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, chosen by millions of internet users worldwide. The service offers features such as dedicated IP, Double VPN, and Onion Over VPN servers, which help to boost your online privacy with zero tracking. One of NordVPN’s key features is Threat Protection Pro™, a tool that blocks malicious websites, trackers, and ads and scans downloads for malware. The latest creation of Nord Security, NordVPN’s parent company, is Saily — a global eSIM service. NordVPN is known for being user friendly and can offer some of the best prices on the market. This VPN provider covers 165 locations across 118 countries. For more information, visit https://nordvpn.com.

More information: brigita@nordsec.com

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