By lil sponge
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NordVPN: A Simple Breakdown of Security, Privacy, and Speed
Why Use a VPN?
- A VPN lets you "teleport" your internet connection to thousands of servers around the world.
- Without it, your internet service provider (or people on public wifi) could view your browsing activity and rough location.
- Are you browsing from city+state? (if you had a VPN, we wouldn't know...)


- Along with the privacy, VPNs give access to region-specific content and prices.

- NordVPN has 6,400+ servers in 100+ countries to browse from.
Security
- NordVPN is based in Panama, home to some of the world's strongest data protection laws.
- Panama does not require companies to keep logs of sensitive user data.
- This may "sound normal" but it's not always the case.
- Several countries have laws which require sites to log identifiable data (like IP address) for up to 2 years.
- Not in Panama!

- These strong laws allow NordVPN to use RAM-only servers (meaning they couldn't even store your data if they wanted to).
Privacy
- NordVPN auto-blocks ads, malware, 3rd party trackers, and URL tracking.

- A kill switch to drop your internet connection if the VPN disconnects unexpectedly.
- A double VPN setting (ex: Mexico to Australia to you) for those needing the most privacy, like journalists or activists.
- Nord has passed several third-party audits (by Deloitte & PwC).
Speed
- Any VPN slows your connection a bit, but Nord's slowdown is hardly noticeable when using it.
- Speed tests in Jan '24 found Nord to be the fastest of the big 3 VPNs.

Drawbacks
- When you have slow data (like on airplane wifi, middle of nowhere, etc), the slowdown will be more pronounced.
- It's a paid product (any VPN that doesn't sell your data is)
Recommendation
- Of the top 3 VPN companies, Nord is the fast and cheap while offering a deeper feature set than most competitors.
- Nord offers a variety of payment options: crypto, PayPal, even cash at various stores.
- They have a 30 day no-questions-asked refund policy as well.

- VPNs are essential for internet hygiene nowadays—Nord is fast, effective, and reasonably priced.
- Download NordVPN here.