NordVPN to Offer Antivirus Through Built-In 'Threat Protection' Feature

pcmag.com:

NordVPN is going to start offering antivirus protection to users through a built-in “Threat Protection” feature coming to the VPN service.

The opt-in feature is designed to stop invasive trackers on your browser, warn you about malicious sites, and block downloaded files that contain malware. It's “part of a broader effort to shift into a more encompassing cybersecurity company,” says NordVPN product strategist Vykintas Maknickas.

The VPN provider’s parent, Nord Security, also offers a password manager and an encrypted cloud storage service. In a recent interview with ZDNet, Co-Founder Tom Okman also said a future goal was to create a single app to cover all of a customer's privacy and security needs.

But of course, the big question is whether the newly unveiled Threat Protection is any good at stopping malicious attacks. For now, NordVPN is making the feature available to macOS users. Interested customers can access it by downloading the latest OpenVPN version of the NordVPN app from the official website. They'll then need to go into the settings panel and turn on Threat Protection. “Once enabled, the feature will protect users without them needing to connect to a VPN server,” the company said.

The real test will occur when the feature comes to Windows, which faces more malware threats than macOS. Nord Security says it will arrive “gradually" on Microsoft's platform, without offering a firm timetable.

The feature's web-focused protection works on the Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox browsers. But if you’re concerned that Threat Protection might slow down your PC, Nord Security says the feature is turned off by default. 

“In edge cases, especially if the internet connection is already poor, Threat Protection may cause