Take cybersecurity to the next level with Threat Protection Pro™

Web protection: Blocks malicious websites, stops web trackers, and removes annoying ads.
File protection: Scans files as you download them and remove malicious ones.
Vulnerability detection: Detects risky applications on your device.

A laptop with Threat Protection enabled and NordVPN connected for increased safety and privacy.

What is Threat Protection Pro™?

Threat Protection Pro™ is an advanced cybersecurity product with prominent antivirus features designed to defend your device against everyday online cyber threats. Threat Protection Pro™ is integrated into NordVPN desktop apps, but it doesn’t require a VPN connection to work.

Like an antivirus, NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ scans the files you download for malware and removes them if they’re infected. It improves your browsing experience by blocking intrusive ads and web trackers that secretly collect information about you. Finally, Threat Protection Pro™ uses AI-powered phishing detection tools and robust databases to stop you from accidentally entering dangerous websites. It even recognizes zero-day phishing attacks, and websites that are likely to scam or trick you.

Threat Protection Pro™ benefits

Threat Protection Pro™ provides multiple benefits to anyone who frequently uses the internet.

A man sitting on top of a browser tab, protected from surrounding threats by Threat Protection.

Malicious website blocker

Threat Protection Pro™ automatically scans URLs and blocks access to malware-hosting, scammy, and phishing websites. It also protects you from attacks that use deceptive links or redirects.

Web tracker blocker

Stop websites from using trackers to follow you around the web. Blocking web trackers stops third parties from gathering data on your preferences to later aggressively target you with ads.

Ad blocker

Improve your browsing experience, free up your browser’s resources, and prevent malvertising attacks with our ad blocker.

URL trimmer

Shorten long URLs by getting rid of unhashed tracking parameters. URL trimming not only makes it easier to share links, but also makes it harder for websites to track you across the web.

A man holding a file being scanned by the anti-malware capabilities of Threat Protection.

Virus scanner

Prevent malicious software from winding up on your system — the Threat Protection Pro™ virus scanner will automatically check newly downloaded files for known malicious signatures or behaviors and remove any identified as malware.

Double extension detection

Don’t let files trick you with fake extensions. The Threat Protection Pro™ file scanner detects double extensions to prevent dangerous malware from sneaking in.

Cloud-based threat detection

Our most advanced anti-malware solution. If the Threat Protection Pro™ engine can’t determine whether a file is dangerous, you can upload the file to the cloud, where Threat Protection Pro™ executes it and determines if it’s malicious by the way it behaves.

A man holding a magnifying glass over a tab, searching for vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

App vulnerability scanner

Check your software for risks with our app vulnerability scanner. By performing regular scans, you will stay informed of new software vulnerabilities, prompting you to update your apps or use them with caution.

How to enable NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ feature

Open the NordVPN app

Launch the NordVPN app on your device and log in with your credentials.

Click the shield

Click on the little shield icon in the left-side menu.

Enable Threat Protection Pro™

Toggle the switch on — that’s it!

Threat Protection Pro™ for Mac users is only available on side-loaded versions of the NordVPN app — download the NordVPN app for macOS using this link. To get Threat Protection Pro™ on PC, download the latest NordVPN app for Windows.

Threat Protection Pro™ vs. Threat Protection

Choose the best version of Threat Protection for your platform and needs.

Threat Protection Pro™

An advanced online security tool that works independently of a VPN connection. Threat Protection Pro™ is powered by cyber threat intelligence and provides similar functionality to an antivirus, with greater focus on user privacy and safe browsing. Available on Windows and macOS.

Threat Protection

Threat Protection is a DNS-based solution that offers some of Threat Protection Pro™ functionality for devices that do not run Windows or macOS. It works by filtering the user’s traffic on NordVPN DNS servers. Available on all browser extensions, Android, iOS, and Linux.

	Threat Protection Pro™ Threat Protection Pro™	Threat Protection Threat Protection
Available on	Windows, macOS	Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, macOS, browser extensions
Blocks malicious domains
Blocks phishing domains
Blocks intrusive ads		Some
Blocks malicious links (URLs)
Blocks phishing webpages
Blocks trackers
Scans files for malware after download

How does Threat Protection Pro™ work?

A schema of how Threat Protection determines whether a URL is safe to access.

Threat Protection Pro™ works by checking each potentially hazardous action you take (like clicking on a link) for known risks. It automatically blocks malicious links that seek to take you to dangerous websites, stops privacy-unfriendly web trackers, and performs many other functions to keep you safe online.

Additionally, Threat Protection Pro™ has a driver that automatically detects newly downloaded files and scans them for malware. If the Threat Protection Pro™ engine can’t determine if an executable file is dangerous, it can upload the latter to the cloud for an advanced scan. Don’t worry — to protect your privacy, Threat Protection Pro™ will never upload files that contain personal data (such as images, PDFs, or text documents).

All threats neutralized by Threat Protection Pro™ — blocked ads, trackers, malicious websites, and malware-infected files — are compiled in a handy dashboard. By analyzing the frequency and source of the threats you face, you can determine which websites you definitely should avoid in the future.

And the best part? You can personalize Threat Protection Pro™ to suit your needs by turning specific safeguards (such as file protection) on or off. And because it is a separate product integrated into NordVPN, you don’t even need to be connected to a VPN server to get all of Threat Protection Pro™ benefits.

One-click personal cybersecurity tool

A powerful anti-malware solution that lets you browse with confidence.

Get NordVPN

Frequently asked questions

Is NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ worth it?

Yes. Threat Protection Pro™ implements some of the most important antivirus features to improve your online security and privacy, blocking web trackers, ads, and URLs to malware-hosting websites (such as deceptive links in phishing emails). Once enabled, Threat Protection Pro™ will silently guard your device in the background for as long as the NordVPN app is running.

Does NordVPN have an antivirus?

While NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ is not a full-fledged antivirus yet, it is an antivirus-like product that provides similar functions, such as scanning downloads for malware and preemptively blocking malicious URLs. Threat Protection Pro™ is regularly updated with new features to allow users to explore the internet with peace of mind.

If you’re already using a VPN and don’t want to invest in additional antivirus software, our advanced Threat Protection Pro™ feature is a great way to protect your data and devices from malware. Find out about differences between VPN and antivirus on our blog.

What antivirus engine is Threat Protection Pro™ using?

Threat Protection Pro™ uses proprietary engines developed by Nord Security — we do not use any third party software development kits (SDKs). Developing these engines in-house gives us the independence to deliver the products that our customers need.

Is Threat Protection Pro™ an anti-malware tool?

Anti-malware is software that protects devices from all kinds of malware, which include viruses, trojans, worms, and ransomware. Modern antiviruses protect against these kinds of malware, so they’re essentially anti-malware tools. In this regard, Threat Protection Pro™ is no different — it’s also an anti-malware tool that prevents you from downloading malicious files. Threat Protection Pro™ does not perform local scans of your device, while antiviruses usually do, so it isn’t a full-fledged antivirus — yet it offers protection that’s necessary.

Why is Threat Protection Pro™ not blocking ads on my web browser?

The ads may be cached in your browser and loaded automatically. To check if this is the case, visit the same website in incognito mode with Threat Protection Pro™ ad blocking feature turned on. If you are still seeing ads, one of the reasons might be the proxy solutions on your computer or browser. Check if you have any other proxies enabled and turn them off. Otherwise, Threat Protection Pro™ can’t inspect the website to block the ads. If this doesn’t work, get in touch with our support team.

How can I solve the “Software is preventing Firefox from safely connecting to this site” error on Firefox?

Since Threat Protection Pro™ adds a new certificate to Firefox, you’ll need to restart your browser for it to take effect. To do that, simply close the browser and open it up again. You can now surf the net without annoying ads getting in the way. If you’re still experiencing any problems, contact our support team.

Why isn’t Threat Protection Pro™ scanning recently downloaded files?

This might occur if you’re using Chrome in Incognito mode on the macOS operating system. Threat Protection Pro™ can’t determine if the file was downloaded from the internet, so it won’t scan it. We are working hard to fix the issue as soon as possible.

What is threat detection and prevention?

Threat detection and threat prevention refer to an organization’s ability to monitor and analyze its IT security ecosystem in order to stop cyber threats. Detection and threat prevention are knit together — to fend off attacks, the organization has to detect them in real time first. By collecting, processing, and analyzing data, organizations and experts can gain threat intelligence that helps them understand how cybercriminals act and effectively mitigate cyber threats.

Can the Threat Protection Pro™ feature of NordVPN limit access to certain websites?

NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ feature is designed to block access to websites that pose a clear risk to you. In some cases, however, it may block websites that have been mistakenly identified as dangerous. If Threat Protection Pro™ throws up a warning screen when you try to enter a website, you can click “Unblock” to access it anyway.

You can also manually unblock specific websites in the Threat Protection Pro™ settings — for more information, read our article on how to fix Threat Protection Pro™ blocking websites.

Finally, If you are having problems with the page layout, the issue could be the result of blocked ads or trackers. To resolve this issue, try adding the page to the allowlist in Threat Protection Pro™ settings. From then on, the webpage will not be filtered and should load without problems.