Norton is a popular antivirus and virtual private network software for keeping your sensitive information more secure through anonymous browsing.
It is owned by a security conglomerate called the Symantec incorporation and quite popular with VPN users in the United States.
It is a beginner-friendly VPN both for desktop and mobile users.
The set up is fairly easy but according to some users, it doesn’t necessarily begin to have the power that more experienced or demanding users will expect from Norton.
There are streamlined custom apps which are available for Android, Mac, Microsoft Windows, and iOS, but unfortunately, as of now, there are no manual workarounds for other routers or devices.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Very fast | Lacking security features |
| Maximum privacy | Does not work with torrents (P2P) |
| Servers in 28 countries | Does not work with torrents (P2P) |
| Flexible amount of devices | |
| Works with Netflix | |
| Low pricing |
There are many words flying in the VPN space as to whether Norton is to be a trusted or is it safe?
Instead of letting others take decision for you, how about we complete this Norton Secure Privacy review so that you can make up your own mind.
Interface
Norton’s has a very clean, practical and easy to navigate interface across all the apps. You can turn on and turn off the ad tracking software and also change the server location too.
They will both show you the location of your server, on a written form and a map format as well. It will also show you the current IP Adress of the server you are connected to.
To see a screenshot of the app (Click here)
Setup
The setup or Installation is easy and pretty much what you would expect in installation and is also straightforward without much side hassle.
If you have any other antivirus or VPN software installed in it, it will ask for it to be either removed or keep it as installed.
I think it’s a good idea to give you the user option and giving a final say on whether to uninstall other software or not.
You will also be given the option to install Norton’s browser extensions. I think it’s a good product and worth having it installed. The Norton Identity Safe is just a password manager while the Norton Safe Web will warn you of any dangerous websites.
By the way, both the Norton Identity Safe and the Norton Safe Web are available separately and it’s for free. So, I don’t know why you won’t have it.
Anyway, Once the installation is completed, according to our test, it took a whopping 1.6GB of disk space. I would say it takes a little bit more space compared to than their other counterparts.
But, still, it’s not like it’s will be filling up your hard drive.
Privacy and logging
Norton claims that they provide a “no-log virtual private network that doesn’t track or store your activity.”
Oh, that’s a Big surprise. So does everyone else. All the VPN companies claim to have a no-log policy.
According to their Knowledgebase, Norton Secure VPN does not keep logs, and VPN without logs means that the VPN provider does not collect, or “log,” any of the data transmitted through the network.
They don’t save information about your personal info and details, also where have you been on the internet, what you search or download.
Thus, you are completely safe and protected in your online privacy and anonymity. Even your VPN provider at this case Norton included.
But when we dig a little bit intoNorton’s Privacy Policy it has more details mentioned there. As a matter of fact, They do log a few things such as-
- Device name
- Device type
- Language and
- OS version
- Aggregate bandwidth usage
It states that it recorded a temporary usage data for the following reasons:
- Improving product performance
- Assist with debugging a problem with the service.
- To Improve customer satisfaction
- R&D
But still, it isn’t 100% completely transparent. It still leaves us unsure.
Do they record only fo Mobile users or desktop? How long does the temporary data is recorded and stored?
Maybe they just assumed that the customers aren’t gonna be troubled or concerned over small technical details and have decided not to spell it out.
Even though they aren’t trying to hide anything underhand, they’ll still need to offer clear statements and get more specific.
Therefore, even if they claim to have a no-log policy, they are still relatively-minor logging. But truth be told, they are only collecting anonymous and aggregated data just to improve its service and help with their R&D in their cybersecurity research.
DNS Leaks/Virus or Malware
What is meant by DNS servers and why are they important?
Let’s say when you visit a website, you’ll type in, let’s say, Freelancehood.com. But, in reality, you’re actually visiting just a long sequence of numbers – (i.e the IP address).
Since it would be hard and impossible to remember all the IP Adress and the complex numbers, we have domain names.
As a reference, we can say a DNS server is a bit like more or less like a telephone operator.
In the DNS server, it contains many domain names along with their associated IP addresses. So when you plan to visit the website and type in the domain name, the DNS server ensures that you are connected to the right IP address.
Now, A VPN provider has it’s own DNS servers and it creates a secure tunnel around your internet connection and all your referring data are forwarded to the VPNs servers. Thus, by encrypting in their tunnel, third parties like governments or organizations cannot create logs of it to censor or intercept it.
Thus, all of your information is secured because it is masked with the data of hundreds or thousands of other users. In that way, it becomes nearly impossible to track your online activity such as the websites you visit or the files you download.
Does Norton Secure VPN has or use its own DNS servers?
Unfortunately No, Norton does not use its own DNS servers.
But when running a test on these sites:
- ipleak.net
- perfect-privacy.com
- browserleaks.com
- dnsleak.com
- VirusTotal.com
There are No IP leak, No DNS leak, No WebRTC leak, and No Virus Infection.
Speed
We all know how frustrating and annoying can slow connection be. And in spite of that, if you connect to a VPN, it will slow down your connection down much more. There’s just no way around this.
That is simply the price you pay for encrypting your data and sending it to a VPN server.
However, Norton Overall speeds were excellent and as a matter of fact, according to some experts and test results Norton secure VPN is one of the fastest VPN and even faster than most of the big names in the VPNs space, ExpressVPN included too.
Steps to increase Speed:
- Purchase a fast VPN
- Choose a VPN server that’s close to you
- Try out different servers
Jurisdiction
What is meant by jurisdiction and why is the reason for its importance?
In simple terms, Jurisdiction refers to the VPN provider’s country of incorporation.
There are strict laws regarding data retention in countries like Australia, the UK, the United States, and many EU countries. The ISPs (internet service providers) are mandatory to store user data such as website visits and emails.
But when you use a VPN, ISP can’t read or collect it because the data you send through an ISP’s network will be encrypted.
Now, there are some people who are afraid that VPN providers are compromised and their data are open to the ISP due to the data retention laws.
The thing is that ISP is a public network provider, whereas a VPN is private. Thus, VPNs thus does not follow the same rules as the ISP. There are no legal rules and obligations for VPNs to collect the user data.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that nobody can do anything. Sometimes under circumstances, relevant government agencies or sophisticated institutions can look into collecting the data they want.
Yes, I know it does sound like a conspiracy theory but it’s the truth. For example, Lavabit provider of encrypted email services suspended its operations when the NSA wanted to spy on Edward Snowden and it ordered to turn over some of its data.
So, What is Norton Secure VPN’s jurisdiction?
Luckily Symantec, the company owning Norton, is incorporated in the United States (US).
But since it has a very clear no-logs policy and does not store any data on your online activity. What’s to handover when there’s nothing to hand over.
So, basically, you are safe using Norton.
Server Locations
What is Server Location and why is it important?
In simple terms, server locations mean the locations where it is housing the servers that you can connect to.
In most of the cases, there are around 30 countries where the VPN providers housed their servers. They allow you to choose the countries from which you wanna connect to while in some case, it can do as further as town or cities such as Chicago, Brooklyn, etc
This is very important for your speed because when you connect to a server say in Bulgaria, the data has to go all through from your device to Bulgaria where the VPN server is located.
Thus, this will noticeably affect your speed. But when there are multiple servers option to connect to, you can choose the one most reasonable close to and enjoy much faster speed too.
How many server locations are there in Norton Secure VPN ’s?
In Norton Secure VPN, There are about 28 countries, covering all the continents.
Platforms and Devices
Norton Secure VPN supports all of the major operating software (OS) such as
- Windows
- Mac
- Android and
- iOS
Number of Connections
What is mean by the number of connections and why is it important?
Basically, it is the number of simultaneous connections it can hold your current package or subscription.
It is important if you are a business or a team and it can be used on your computer, phone, and even perhaps a tablet.
How many Number of connections does Norton Secure VPN support?
Fortunately, you get to choose your own numbers (1, 7 and 10) and you will be charged according to your choosing.
Not many other companies do this and it is really an upside feature of Norton and a big plus.
Kill Switch Test
What is kill switch and why is it important?
Let’s say your VPN Connection stops being active, by default an automatic kill switch will stop your internet connection.
This way, your online activity won’t be exposed if the VPN fails.
Does Norton Secure VPN use a kill switch?
Sadly, Norton does not feature a kill switch.
Encryption
What is encryption and why is it important?
Basically, encryption simply means taking a readable data and transforming it into something resembling like a gibberish.
This can be achieved with the help of an encryption key, and it can only be deciphered by the parties with access to the key.
What encryption standard does Norton Secure VPN use?
Norton uses the 128-Blowfish (AES-128) encryption standard. The AES-128 is regarded as unbreakable but there are some VPNs who use an even more secure standard: The AES-256.
But it’s still very secure encryption.
Protocol
Definition of protocol and reason why is it important?
A VPN protocol is a technology which will determine the way that the data gets formatted and then transmitted over to the internet or a local area network (LAN).
There are different protocols and each of them has their own levels of speed and security.
The OpenVPN is generally considered to be the most secure, beating out the IKEv2, SSTP, PPTP, L2TP.
What kind of protocols does Norton Secure VPN use?
Norton uses the highly secure and most commonly used open source OpenVPN protocol.
Streaming
Norton will work with all of the major streaming services. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon included too and t can be a huge help if you wanna watch something but aren’t available in the place of your living.
So bypassing your geo-restrictions should be OK with this VPN.
You can connect to the server of the countries that do have your show and enjoy it.
Customer Support
Yeah, many have been complaining about this and turns out it’s the truth. Norton has not been very much good in this department.
From user reviews and complaints, It took around 5 -10 minutes to get connected to a chat.
So, a negative on this but I really hope they will step up their game if they wanted to compete with the big league in the Support department.
Plans and Pricing
Image Source: Norton
As of now, Norton WiFi Privacy has Three pricing options.
- For 1 Device, The Monthly cost is $4.99 and the annual plan is for $49.99
- For 5 Device, it cost $7.99 a month and $79.99 yearly
- For 10 device, you can pay $9.99 monthly or $99.99 a year.
Money-Back Guarantee
Norton Secure VPN has a 60-day money back guarantee. But they did not offer any Free trial or a free plan.
It’s also risk-free, so check it out.
Conclusion: Norton VPN Review
There is nothing wrong in saying that Norton is a flexible, Accurate, fast and lightweight product.
They offer a solid connection and fast server speeds with a user-friendly app. Their server jurisdiction is worldwide from Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and the South Pacific.
It’s a good platform especially if your priorities are speed and accessibility.
