Snapshot
Norton Secure VPN is a smart choice for users looking for a straightforward user-friendly VPN that’s backed up by a huge brand name you can trust. With fast servers in 31 countries, ‘bank-grade’ security encryption and VPN applications for most devices, staying secure online and accessing content on the move is simple with Norton Secure VPN.
Compatible with
Rating
Our score:
4.5
★★★★★ 5/5
Pricing
Price from:
$3.33
per month
Pros
- Fast, robust servers with up to 88Mbps download speeds
- Simple to use mobile and desktop applications
- Currently unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer and other popular streaming sites
- Ad Tracker Blocker included
- Minimal data logging
- 60-day money back guarantee on annual plans
Cons
- No VPN kill switch
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting not permitted on any of its servers
- Relatively small server network (31 countries)
- No support at present for Linux users
- Expensive compared to many other providers
Introduction
Norton Secure VPN is a relatively new product (formerly known as Norton Wi-Fi Privacy), but Norton itself is a huge brand known and respected globally for its antivirus software. Norton Secure VPN is a great pick for beginners and can be used as a standalone VPN or added to other Norton cyber security products for complete protection.
The VPN itself offers access to servers geographically spread across the continents and produces strong local and international connection speeds. It ticks many of our security boxes with its robust online anonymity protection (always handy for keeping cybercriminals out!) and their built in Ad Tracker Blocker comes free with all subscriptions which lets you block unwanted tracking technologies to avoid being tracked by online advertisers and other companies.
For entertainment, Norton Secure VPN users can stream and access many of the popular channels such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer (at the time of writing), but for those looking towards P2P file sharing (torrenting) or for some of the more advanced features found elsewhere with other providers, this VPN isn’t suitable for you. Neither is it if you’re a Linux user as at present, it’s not available on your platform.
If all you are looking for is a reputable no frills provider who can protect your personal data such as your online banking and sign in details at home or on the move (including when using public Wi-Fi), Norton Secure VPN may just be the right pick for you! With their 24/7 live chat customer support and a 60-day money back guarantee as standard with all annual subscriptions, they are a pretty good offering.
Pricing
Norton Secure VPN offer both monthly and annual subscriptions, but with most our readers opting for annual purchases we’ll focus on those below in our pricing table. They allow you to protect 1, 5 or 10 devices per subscription and all multi device plans currently have $40 off for the first year when you sign up through our website!
For those looking for short-term protection, their 1 month subscription plan is $4.99 for the 1 device, $7.99 for 5 devices, or $9.99 for 10 devices.
For payment, Norton Secure VPN accepts all major debit, credit cards (including American Express) and PayPal.
1 device
$
39
99
per year* -
*Billed $39.99 for the first year
Visit website
60-day money back guarantee
5 devices
$
39
99
per year* -
*Billed $39.99 for the first year
Visit website
60-day money back guarantee
10 devices
$
59
99
per year* -
*Billed $59.99 for the first year
Visit website
60-day money back guarantee
SAVE 40%
Features
Norton Secure VPN is one of the most user-friendly setups we’ve tested and we’re confident that any level of user will be able to get to grips with it in seconds. The applications are pretty no frills and once open, present you with a map of your current location as well as the list of 31 countries you can connect to. They have servers distributed across 6 continents with locations including The USA, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Singapore, The UK, France and many more.
Built into their app is the classic ‘auto connect’ button which connects you to the fastest available server with the click of a button further adding to the ease of use for those new to VPNs or looking for quick and easy protection.
A downfall for some users will be the current lack of advanced features we like to see built in as standard. For example, they currently don’t provide the highly important VPN kill switch which keeps you protected should you lose your connection or provide dedicated streaming servers which means unblocking content may not be as reliable as other providers. Again, for torrenting, it’s simply not allowed and blocked on all their servers.
Norton Secure VPN does however block tracking cookies that some companies and advertisers use to track your online activities with its superb Ad Tracker Blocker which is a nice win. During testing this feature did seem to successfully block a lot of third-party tracking ads which is good to see. We also like the fact that the app notifies you when your device has picked up a public or unsecured Wi-Fi network prompting you to encrypt and protect your online privacy.
Platforms and devices
Norton Secure VPN is available on many of the most popular internet devices and operating systems with custom built applications for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Sadly, at present, there is currently no Linux client or available workaround.
For those hoping to configure a VPN onto their router, you’ll also be disappointed to know that it’s not possible, and for others looking for a native application for Smart TV, Amazon Firestick or games consoles, you’re also going to be left disappointed with Norton Secure VPNs zero offering.
Adding more insult to injury, unlike most premium VPNs, they currently do not support any browser extensions but we are hopeful that this is an area that Norton will upgrade in the not so distant future.
Streaming
Norton Secure VPN provides a mixed bag when it comes to streaming. With the robust download speeds it kicks out, it’s setup perfectly for uninterrupted HD steaming and during testing (to our surprise!) we could access the US Netflix store, BBC iPlayer and some US only YouTube content from here in the UK.
However, with its small server network and the lack of city level choice, this does mean it won’t be as reliable as other steaming focussed VPNs that offer a huge server range and channel specific streaming servers.
If streaming and unblocking geo-restricted content is your main concern when choosing your VPN, you may want to check out our top 5 recommend VPNs for streaming here.
Torrenting
Ahh torrenting… it’s huge no from Norton here with P2P file sharing banned across all of their servers worldwide. And that could be a blessing in disguise considering the current lack of built in VPN kill switch to their apps. Should you be reading this and disappointed right now because you’re after that sweet VPN protection for your file sharing habit, please keep calm and head over to our Best VPN for torrenting page here.
Speed
It’s well known that a VPN will in most cases reduce your normal download/upload speeds but we are pleased to announce that Norton Secure VPN performed pretty well during our testing at both a local and international levels.
From our London HQ we achieved local download speeds of 88Mbps after connecting to the ‘auto select’ servers (which offer the closest and fastest connection) and is well above what you would need to watch HD content and browse without any noticeable drop in performance.
When connecting to local European countries such as Germany and The Netherlands, our speeds barely changed from the auto connect speeds mentioned above, demonstrating Norton Secure VPNs robust top quality infrastructure. And when connecting further afield to servers in the US and Australia, speeds dropped to around 38Mbps, but this is still more than acceptable for most internet tasks.
Security
Norton Secure VPN falls under the Norton cyber security umbrella making it part of one of the most respected and trusted brands in the industry. As described by Norton themselves, their ‘bank-grade’ encryption ensures information you send and receive online is secure and private (when using their VPN!).
They use industry leading AES-256 encryption, our favoured OpenVPN protocol as well as IPSec on the iOS application. During testing we didn’t experience any IP, DNS or WebRTC leaks which demonstrates top levels of security – ideal for a security product!
Currently they do not have what we describe as the ‘all important’ VPN kill switch which ensures that your IP address and activity isn’t revealed should your connection drop unexpectedly, and for this reason prevents us from recommending Norton Secure VPN as one of the best VPNs or privacy overall.
For those only considering VPNs with this kill switch feature, why not take a look at our top 5 recommended VPNs for privacy here.
Applications
The Norton Secure VPN applications are super user friendly and easy to navigate and their simple initial setup make it perfect for any user to jump on board regardless of their tech ability.
Inside the app, you are greeted with a large ‘auto connect’ button as well as a long list all of the servers you can connect to. It couldn’t be any simpler!
As mentioned above, the only let down here is the relatively limited amount of devices you can use Norton Secure VPN on when compared to many of the other premium VPN providers recommended throughout our site.
Customer service
As you would expect from such a large organisation, Norton Secure VPN has both 24/7 live chat support as well as a number of online troubleshooting resources including video tutorials, a community forum, and an FAQs page (which is very lacking of content).
When we tested their online live chat support, the agent was able to help with most of our queries and we didn’t have to wait too long to get through to somebody, but when questioned about anything slightly tricky, we didn’t get very far.
Due to the simplicity of the product, we doubt you will have any problems with your Norton Secure VPN but it’s good to know their staff are on hand 24 hours a day should any problems arise… just maybe don’t be too techy!
Log policy
Norton Secure VPN has a pretty strong log policy but it’s worth us going over a few things for those who are seriously concerned about data logging.
Firstly, they do not log any information about the sites you visit or the originating IP address, but they do collect some data which it uses to ‘improve services, optimise operations and customer satisfaction’ (however, none of this could personally identify your online activities). This includes: subscriber information and mobile device data (device name/model, OS and language) plus aggregate bandwidth usage.
They do also appear to log temporary usage data to help with server selection and research and development purposes. This includes: users originating IP address plus real time analysis of internet traffic (including destination websites).Whilst this may sound alarm bells for ultra-privacy focussed users, this automated software does not log any IP address once the VPN session has finished or store any information the users website visits so they really have very little data that could be used against any user should it be requested.
Jurisdiction
Norton Secure VPN is owned by NortonLifeLock Inc, formerly known as Symantec. The company is based in Arizona, USA which isn’t a good location at all for privacy due to the fact that the US has intrusive privacy laws and is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance!
Despite this, with their more than adequate security features and a strong log policy we are still happy to recommend Norton Secure VPN as a solid choice for user privacy.
The verdict
Norton Secure VPN perhaps has some way to go to really compete with the biggest names in the VPN industry and we’d have to say it’s being held back by we’re sorry to say… 4 major sticking points; a relatively small server network (when compared to the leading VPN providers), the lack of applications and devices it supports, it’s block on P2P file sharing, and most importantly… the lack of a VPN kill switch.
Despite this, the product itself is pretty good offering a robust and secure connection for the more casual user. Its applications are smart and easy to use and take away any complexity that you may think is involved with using a VPN. Users are clearly drawn to Norton’s globally known and trusted brand name and we are pleased to see they are promoting the importance of using a VPN.
To summarise, it’s relatively cheap, comes with a massive 60-day money back guarantee, and is does do some of the basics pretty well. If you’re new to the VPN game, it could and should be a consideration for you, but we would argue that there are better products out there for less money, just maybe not with the quality brand backing of Norton that you may be overly comfortable with.