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VPN encryption: Get advanced online protection
Encrypt your online traffic with NordVPN.
Shield your online activity from snoopers.
Secure your whole network with VPN encryption.
What is VPN encryption?
VPN encryption is a process that scrambles your online data so that no unauthorized party can view it or use it in any way. This way, you not only protect your information but also conceal your identity. Strong encryption is a fundamental feature of any VPN — it’s what makes them secure and private.
VPN encryption protects your information from:
Internet service providers (ISPs)
ISPs can see which websites you visit based on the DNS requests your device sends out (unless you encrypt them). This information allows them to throttle your connection depending on the content you’re accessing, block some websites altogether, and even track your internet traffic and sell your data to advertisers.
Cybercriminals
Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to exploit weak or open connections and steal sensitive information — for example, on public Wi-Fi. VPN encryption helps you protect your traffic as it travels through the internet, making it unreadable to cybercriminals.
Governments
Restrictive regimes are known for tracking and spying on their citizens — they want to control the flow of information and suppress opposition. VPN encryption lets you avoid surveillance and protect your privacy and the right to access the open internet.
How does VPN encryption work?
- 1.
Your device initiates a connection to a VPN server.
- 2.
Once the device is authenticated, the VPN client encrypts all information traveling to the server.
- 3.
The VPN service creates an encrypted tunnel and passes your data through it.
- 4.
Your data packets are wrapped in outer packets and encrypted through encapsulation.
- 5.
When they arrive at the VPN server, the outer packets are removed to access the data within through decryption.
What encryption protocols do VPNs use?
The two types of VPN encryption — symmetric and asymmetric — use encryption keys, but go about it in different ways. Symmetric encryption uses only private keys, while asymmetric — both public and private keys. But when it comes to the encryption algorithms themselves, there are three main ones: DES, RSA, and AES.
DES
DES (data encryption standard) is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses 56-bit keys. It is widely considered to be insecure and has been mostly replaced by more advanced algorithms.
RSA
RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) is an asymmetric encryption algorithm that uses two keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. It's used for secure data transfers and digital signatures.
AES
AES (advanced encryption standard) is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses 128-, 192-, or 256-bit keys, making it significantly more secure than its predecessors. It is the gold standard of encryption used by high-end services, including NordVPN.
What is AES?
AES is the most advanced encryption protocol used and approved worldwide by governments, cybersecurity experts, and cryptography enthusiasts. NordVPN uses AES with 256-bit keys, which means it has 2^256 possible combinations.
How secure is AES?
No known practical attack can break AES encryption. If you tried to brute force it by checking all possible key combinations, you would need more resources than humanity currently has at its disposal.
While theoretically no encryption cipher is truly impregnable, AES with 256-bit keys is absolute overkill when it comes to security. To break it, you would need to build supercomputers – of a kind that cannot yet be built – that would work on decryption for billions of years.
NordVPN uses three different VPN encryption protocols
NordVPN creates a tunnel to transmit your data to VPN servers securely. NordVPN uses three different VPN protocols to determine how that tunnel is actually formed.
When it comes to VPN technology, Wireguard®* is at the cutting edge. It’s an incredibly fast protocol that uses top-tier cryptology and consists of just 4,000 lines of code (100 times less than OpenVPN). It’s easy to deploy, audit, and debug.
The chink in Wireguard’s armor is it can’t ensure complete user privacy. That’s why we developed NordLynx, a double NAT (network address translation) system, on its backbone. It allows a secure VPN connection and does not store identifiable data on the VPN server. NordLynx is the fastest secure virtual private network solution. And in 2024, we introduced the first post-quantum VPN cryptography upgrade for the NordLynx protocol in our Linux app and started rolling it out to our other apps as well.
*WireGuard® is a registered trademark of Jason A. Donenfeld.
OpenVPN is an extremely versatile VPN encryption protocol, which you can use both for UDP and TCP ports – for safe browsing, gaming, and live streaming. To guarantee the protection of your sensitive data, NordVPN uses AES-256-GCM encryption algorithm with a 4096-bit DH key.
The whole global cybersecurity community has a stake in OpenVPN since it has an open source code, which is freely available for review and modification. With every new bug report, with every new-found vulnerability, with every line of code, this security protocol gets stronger and better. It thrives on transparency.
Internet protocol security (IPsec) operates with the newest version of the Internet Key Exchange (IKEv2) to enhance security, stability, and speed. IKEv2/IPsec employs powerful cryptographic algorithms and keys. IKEv2 is known for its ability to quickly reestablish a VPN connection if the network connection is interrupted, making it a good choice for mobile devices that frequently switch between different networks.
You get top-tier encryption with NordVPN
Without encryption, your traffic is vulnerable to hackers, ISPs, advertisers, and other snoopers. Third parties can access your information in both legal and illegal ways. You have to take matters into your own hands and make sure you control who uses your data. It’s easy to do with NordVPN!
We strive to make your online experience as private, secure, and smooth as possible. Choose NordVPN to get the fastest VPN service with top-notch encryption.
How can your data be exposed?
Even if you’re being careful online, your data could still be at risk of being exposed:
ISP tracking
All your online activity is visible to your ISP — and ethical ISPs that protect the privacy of their clients are few and far between. Nothing prevents it from tracking and logging your online behavior, selling the data to advertisers, or handing it over to the authorities.
Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi networks often lack necessary security measures, like strong encryption. This makes it a desirable target for cybercriminals looking to steal sensitive information from people who connect to these hotspots.
Cyberattacks
Without the protection of a VPN, you could be more susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks, DNS spoofing, and DDoS attacks. VPN encryption allows you to shield your internet traffic and IP address from cybercriminals.
The triple-S VPN experience: Speed, security, simplicity
Speed — thanks to NordLynx, you can experience blazing speeds and unlimited bandwidth without compromising your privacy.
Security — NordVPN comes with a host of extra security features, like Threat Protection Pro™, Dark Web Monitor, and Meshnet.
Simplicity — you don’t need to be a cryptographer to use NordVPN. Just download the VPN app, log in, and connect to encrypt your private data.
Encrypt your traffic with NordVPN
Secure your digital life with post-quantum VPN encryption!