NordVPN unveils killer upgrade to monitor 'dark web' threats

NordVPN unveils killer upgrade to monitor 'night web' threats

(Image credit: Petter Lagson)

One of the world's biggest and best VPN providers, NordVPN, has unveiled a new security characteristic that warns users if any of their online accounts have been compromised past tertiary parties.

The new feature, called Dark Web Monitor, scans lists of compromised credentials — sets of email addresses, passwords and usernames — that are posted on cybercrime forums. Information technology will alarm NordVPN users if whatever accounts linked to their email addresses appear.

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Such features are already offered by many of the best identity-theft-protection services, as well as a few of the all-time antivirus suites and even i or two of the all-time countersign managers.

Simply according to Nord, Night Web Monitor is unlike from other dark-spider web scanners because it "runs continuously" and provides results in real-time. (Tom's Guide was not able to verify that assertion.)

"Your data might be for sale somewhere on the night web without you even knowing," said Vykintas Maknickas, a product strategist at NordVPN. "It's impossible to protect yourself when you don't know where the threat is coming from. That's where NordVPN's Dark Spider web Monitor steps in."

"It does the work for you past scanning the night web and alerting you near exposed credentials," he added. "This way, you lot can take activity immediately to protect yourself."

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Fighting cybercrime

Maknickas warned that many people are reusing passwords across their unlike online accounts and that cybercriminals can access "the full ecosystem of accounts" if they effigy out a user's password.

That's very true and it'southward why you should never reuse a password, at to the lowest degree non for accounts containing sensitive personal or financial data.

NordVPN says Dark Web Monitor volition help the user meliorate their ain data security and take steps against the problem of credential stuffing, which is when automated computer scripts bombard website login pages with thousands of stolen username-password credentials until they find a match.

Dark Web Monitor, NordVPN claims, will warn users of data breaches and so that they can alter their passwords straight away and ensure cybercriminals can't cause harm or try to steal identification details.

Getting started

The new feature is only available on NordVPN's iOS apps at launch. But Android VPN users will receive it next, and other platforms are expected to become the feature in the well-nigh hereafter.

To get prepare, you'll need to update your NordVPN iOS app and enable the feature past heading over to the app settings. The characteristic will but monitor breached accounts linked to the email address with which you signed up for NordVPN.

NordVPN also confirmed that a new split-tunneling office will be bachelor for Windows 10 VPN users at the end of the month.

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Nicholas Fearn is a freelance technology journalist and copywriter from the Welsh valleys. His work has appeared in publications such as the FT, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, The Next Web, T3, Android Fundamental, Estimator Weekly, and many others. He also happens to exist a diehard Mariah Carey fan!