Norton Secure review
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Many Internet users want to protect their privacy and security while browsing the Internet. Are you one of them? You need a VPN (Virtual Private Network) then. You might find it hard to choose a VPN since many of them operate in a highly competitive market. Norton Secure VPN is one of them. Norton, a well-known American provider of cybersecurity solutions offer this VPN.
How do you choose a VPN? You need to review its privacy and security features, moreover, you need to see how fast it is. Check whether it unblocks geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. Find out whether it allows secure access to P2P/torrenting services. You should also check its compatibility, user-friendliness, customer support, and price.
We have reviewed Norton Secure VPN using all of these yardsticks. Does this VPN meet your requirements and should you buy a subscription? Read on, as we answer these questions in detail.
What are the features of Norton Secure VPN?
We now evaluate the features that Norton Secure VPN offers.
Your privacy at Norton Secure VPN
You probably prioritize privacy, and this is why you are looking for a VPN. VPNs that successfully masks your IP address, encrypts your Internet traffic, and refrains from logging your online activities can protect your privacy.
Norton Secure VPN masks your IP address successfully, moreover, it encrypts your Internet traffic. On its privacy policy, the company commits to protect your personal information and privacy. Norton Secure VPN commits to secure your personal information and process it per relevant laws.
In one of the articles on its support portal, Norton Secure VPN claims that it maintains a “no logs” VPN network. It also states that it can’t tie a user to his/her online activities when using this VPN.
When you buy a VPN subscription, you need to provide your email address. You need to create a password, and this VPN keeps this personal information safe. Optionally, you can enter the first name, last name, and phone number. We find that this amount of personal information collected is reasonable.
Norton is an American company, therefore, Norton Secure VPN is subject to the jurisdiction of the USA. Since the USA is part of the “5 Eyes” coalition of countries that conduct mass surveillance, it’s not the ideal jurisdiction for a privacy-focused VPN. Norton Secure VPN doesn’t keep logs though, therefore, we don’t see any privacy risks.
We find that Norton Secure VPN can protect your privacy.
Data security of Norton Secure VPN
You want a VPN that secures your sensitive information when you browse the Internet. VPNs that support secure VPN protocols, provide strong encryption, prevent data leaks, and provide advanced security features can do that.
Norton Secure VPN uses the OpenVPN VPN protocol on its Windows, Mac, and Android VPN apps. This is the most secure VPN protocol and we feel satisfied with this. On its iOS app, Norton Secure VPN uses the L2TP/IPSec VPN protocol. While it’s not as secure as OpenVPN, it’s secure enough.
Norton Secure VPN provides AES-256 encryption. This is military-grade encryption, therefore, it will secure your sensitive information.
This VPN can prevent IPv4 leaks. It can’t prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks though, which is a disadvantage. All leading VPNs prevent all such leaks, and Norton Secure VPN lags behind its competitors in this regard. Norton Secure VPN offers a blocker for ad trackers.
Norton Secure VPN offers a kill switch on its Android app only. It doesn’t offer this feature on its Windows, Mac, and iOS apps. A kill switch blocks Internet access if the VPN connection terminates unexpectedly, which keeps hackers away. We would like Norton Secure VPN to offer this feature on all of its VPN apps. All leading VPNs offer this feature on all of their apps, therefore, Norton Secure VPN falls short in this regard. Moreover, the kill switch isn’t automatic. You need to manually activate it on the Android app.
While Norton Secure VPN supports secure protocols and offers robust encryption, it can’t prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks. It offers a kill switch on its Android app only. This VPN falls short of our expectations concerning security features.
Where are the servers of Norton Secure VPN located?
You would want a VPN that offers good speed. VPNs having enough servers in all key geographies can do that, however, they should invest in high-quality infrastructure.
Norton Secure VPN doesn’t disclose its total number of servers or server locations. In one of its FAQ articles, the company states that the IP addresses of its servers are located in different countries. The company cites countries like the USA, the UK, Singapore, and Brazil in this regard.
Norton Secure VPN seems to have a smaller server network than market-leading VPNs. It offers reasonable speed. If you want a VPN that’s consistently fast, then you should explore other leading VPNs.
Which of your devices are supported by Norton Secure VPN?
You would want a VPN that’s compatible with various kinds of devices that you have. Norton Secure VPN supports Windows and Mac among desktop platforms. It doesn’t support Linux, which is a key desktop platform. Among mobile platforms, Norton Secure VPN supports Android and iOS.
This VPN offers custom apps for all platforms that it supports. This is an advantage since users that aren’t tech-savvy can use this VPN easily. However, Norton Secure VPN doesn’t support as many platforms as other leading VPNs do. This VPN doesn’t support routers, smart TVs, gaming consoles, etc. Norton Secure VPN doesn’t provide any manual configuration guides either.
This VPN offers various pricing plans depending on how many devices you want to cover using it. There are 3 pricing plans that allow you to connect 1, 5, and 10 devices respectively.
Norton Secure VPN supports Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and it offers custom apps. However, it doesn’t support key platforms like Linux and routers. If you want a VPN that’s compatible with all kinds of devices, then you should explore other leading VPNs.
Can Norton Secure VPN unblock streaming services?
Popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer impose geo-restrictions on their content to protect their business objectives. Many Internet users try to bypass these geo-restrictions using VPNs, however, these streaming services know that. They aggressively identify and block VPNs, therefore, many VPNs can’t unblock them.
Norton Secure VPN can’t unblock these popular geo-restricted streaming services. If you want a VPN that consistently unblocks Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, then you need to explore other leading VPNs.
P2P/torrenting with Norton Secure VPN
Norton Secure VPN doesn’t allow P2P/torrenting on its servers. That’s a disadvantage and we will explain why.
Some countries have banned P2P/torrenting, and you can get into copyrights issues even in countries that allow them. Even if you inadvertently use these services illegally, you are at risk since ISPs track your activities online. To avoid such challenges, many Internet users opt for a VPN when accessing P2P/torrenting services.
Moreover, hackers keenly monitor such services and target their users. That’s another reason why Internet users prefer to use a VPN when accessing P2P/torrenting services. Finally, ISPs throttle the Internet connection as soon as they detect that you are accessing such a service. VPNs can prevent this too.
As a result, most leading VPNs allow secure access to P2P/torrenting services. They might advise their users to follow appropriate laws in this regard. Norton Secure VPN doesn’t offer this feature, therefore, it lags behind its competitors.
Note: Norton Secure VPN can’t bypass the “Great Firewall” of China. This VPN doesn’t use the kind of obfuscation technologies that some leading VPNs do for this purpose.
How much does Norton Secure VPN cost?
You want value for money when you buy a VPN subscription. Norton Secure VPN offers the following pricing plans, which vary by the number of devices covered:
· 1 device: You pay $4.99 per month if you opt for monthly billing. If you opt for yearly billing, then you pay $39.99 per annum.
· 5 devices: This plan costs you $7.99 if you choose monthly billing. You pay $39.99 per annum if you opt for yearly billing.
· 10 devices: You pay $9.99 per month if you choose monthly billing. The annual billing option costs you $59.99.
Norton Secure VPN offers a secure way to pay for a subscription. You can pay for a subscription using popular credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc. Norton Secure VPN accepts PayPal too.
While Norton offers a free trial for some of its products, it doesn’t offer one for its VPN. Norton Secure VPN offers a 60-days money-back guarantee if you buy an annual billing plan. It offers a 14-days money-back guarantee if you buy a monthly billing plan.
We find that the monthly billing plans offered by Norton Secure VPN are expensive. The 1-device plan is expensive too. This VPN gives good discounts on its yearly plans. In the overall analysis, Norton Secure VPN is expensive for the products and services it offers.
Note: It could be a different matter if you buy a VPN subscription bundled with other Norton products. However, here we focus on the stand-alone VPN only, and we find that Norton Secure VPN is expensive.
The pros and cons of Norton Secure VPN
We now evaluate the pros and cons of Norton Secure VPN. This VPN offers the following advantages:
· Norton Secure VPN protects your privacy, thanks to its “no logs” policy.
· This VPN supports secure VPN protocols, moreover, it offers strong encryption.
· Norton Secure VPN provides user-friendly custom apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
· This VPN includes a blocker for ad trackers.
· Norton Secure VPN offers a searchable knowledgebase and excellent document.
· This VPN has excellent customer support capabilities including 24x7 live chat support.
· Norton Secure VPN offers a 60-days money-back guarantee for its annual-billing plans, whereas it offers a 14-days money-back guarantee for its monthly-billing plans.
Norton Secure VPN has the following disadvantages:
· This VPN can’t consistently prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks.
· It offers a kill switch on its Android app only, and you need to manually activate it.
· Norton Secure VPN can’t unblock Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.
· This VPN doesn’t allow P2P/torrenting activities on its servers.
· Norton VPN can’t bypass the “Great Firewall” of China.
· This VPN doesn’t support Linux and routers, moreover, it doesn’t support smart TVs and gaming consoles.
· Norton Secure VPN offers excellent customer support including 24x7 live chat support.
· It’s a bit expensive for the features it offers.
· Norton Secure VPN doesn’t offer a free trial.
A few quick facts about Norton Secure VPN
Let’s summarize a few quick facts about Norton Secure VPN, which are as follows:
· Norton Secure VPN is from Norton, a well-known American cybersecurity provider.
· This VPN follows a “no logs” policy.
· While it supports secure protocols and strong encryption, it can’t consistently prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks.
· Norton Secure VPN offers a kill switch on its Android app only.
· This VPN supports Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. It doesn’t support Linux, routers, smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
· Norton Secure VPN can’t unblock Netflix, moreover, it doesn’t allow P2P/torrenting activities.
· This VPN provides excellent documentation and offers high-quality customer support.
· This VPN doesn’t offer a free trial.
· Norton Secure VPN offers a 14-days money-back guarantee for its monthly plans, whereas, it offers a 60-days money-back guarantee for its yearly plans.
Is Norton Secure VPN easy to use?
Most people looking for a VPN consider ease of use an important factor, and you probably do that too. VPNs that offer user-friendly custom apps and an easy-to-navigate website qualify as user-friendly VPNs.
The Norton Secure VPN website is easy to navigate and you can easily find all information. You can easily locate the key menu options and “Call To Action” (CTA) buttons. This VPN offers an easy process to buy a subscription. You can find its custom apps easily, moreover, you can install and use them easily.
While Norton Secure VPN doesn’t support platforms like Linux and routers, it provides custom apps for all the platforms that it supports. This VPN also offers good documentation. We find that Norton Secure VPN is a user-friendly VPN.
About the customer service of Norton Secure VPN
Customer support capabilities carry a lot of importance when you shop around for a VPN, and this is especially true for users that aren’t tech-savvy. A VPN provider should offer excellent documentation, FAQs, a searchable knowledgebase, and prompt customer support.
Norton Secure VPN is offered by Norton, which is a well-known cybersecurity company. It offers robust customer support for all of its products, which includes its VPN.
This company provides a searchable knowledge base. Its knowledge base has a wide range of articles covering various topics like installation, troubleshooting, features, billing, etc. We have reviewed several articles and found them to be very useful. Norton Secure VPN offers detailed FAQs.
This VPN provides prompt customer support when you contact its support team. In addition to ticket-based support, Norton Secure VPN offers live chat support. The company has a capable and professional customer support team. We find that Norton Secure VPN has excellent customer support capabilities.
Where is the headquarters of Norton Secure VPN located?
Norton Secure VPN is subject to the jurisdiction of the USA since Norton is an American company. The USA is a key member of the 5/9/14 “Eyes” coalitions. Countries in these coalitions conduct mass surveillance, therefore, they aren’t the most privacy-friendly countries. However, Norton Secure VPN doesn’t keep logs, therefore, the jurisdiction doesn’t adversely impact its privacy features.
Does Norton Secure VPN keep any logs?
Norton Secure VPN doesn’t keep logs. It doesn’t track any information that can potentially tie a user with his/her activities on the Internet. The company makes it clear on its website, moreover, it commits to protect the privacy of its users on its privacy policy. We find that Norton Secure VPN follows an effective “no logs” policy.
The security of Norton Secure VPN
Norton Secure VPN supports the OpenVPN protocol on its Windows, Mac, and Android VPN apps. OpenVPN is the most secure VPN protocol since it doesn’t have any known security vulnerabilities. Norton Secure VPN supports the L2TP/IPSec VPN protocol on its iOS app. This is a secure protocol too.
This VPN provider offers AES-256 encryption, which is the strongest that you can find in the market. Norton Secure VPN can’t prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks consistently, however, it prevents IPv4 leaks. This VPN provides a blocker for ad trackers.
Norton Secure VPN offers a kill switch on its Android app only. You need to activate it manually. It doesn’t offer this feature on its Windows, Mac, and iOS VPN apps, which is a drawback.
Norton Secure VPN lags behind its competitors when it comes to security features.
The conclusion of our review
Norton Secure VPN follows an effective “no logs” policy and it’s a privacy-friendly VPN. While it supports secure VPN protocols and offers strong encryption, it can’t consistently prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks. It offers a kill switch, however, it’s available on its Android app only.
This VPN can’t unblock Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. Norton Secure VPN doesn’t allow P2P/torrenting activities. It offers reasonable speed, and its server network appears to be smaller than leading VPNs. This VPN supports Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and it offers custom apps for these platforms. However, it doesn’t support any other platforms.
Norton Secure VPN is user-friendly. It offers excellent documentation. This VPN offers robust customer support, which includes 24x7 live chat support. Norton Secure VPN is a bit expensive for the products and services it offers.
We don’t recommend you buy a Norton Secure VPN subscription. This VPN offers a 14-days money-back guarantee for its monthly plans and a 60-days money-back guarantee for its yearly plans. You can buy a subscription and see if it meets your requirements. If you don’t find it suitable, then you can get a refund.
