NordVPN Unbundles NordProtect’s Comprehensive Identity Protection and Insurance

• NordVPN’s NordProtect becomes a stand-alone service in the US, adding flexibility to its identity protection solution
• It provides up to USD 1M coverage for identity theft recovery and USd 10K for fraud losses
• NordProtect partners with insurers, using TransUnion and Dark Web Monitoring for threat detection
• Future trajectories of the service’s development include offering different tiers and expanding NordProtect to more international markets

This March, the famous Lithuanian-born VPN service NordVPN announced the separation of its subsidiary NordProtect, responsible for identity protection, into a stand-alone service—for now, only in the USA. Previously included only with the NordVPN Prime plan, it can now be purchased separately, offering greater flexibility. As part of this change, NordProtect has expanded its features to include online fraud coverage. This new support compensates users for financial losses from a wide range of scams, including romance scams, marketplace fraud, QR code scams, fraudulent credit card charges, and other common online threats.

Added Flexibility and Functionality

Launched in late 2023, NordProtect is an identity theft protection service offering a full range of ID monitoring and insurance against identity theft, cyber extortion, and online fraud. While not traditional software itself, it relies heavily on advanced software tools to deliver its services effectively. NordProtect continuously monitors for threats, helping users detect potential risks early and providing financial protection against various cybercrime incidents. It offers a reliable and proactive solution for safeguarding personal information in today’s increasingly digital and vulnerable environment.

‘Stand-alone development of the service can expand its functionality, add more subscription plans, and integrate it with corporate security systems. At the same time, the opportunity to combine NordProtect with NordVPN—for the complex protection of network traffic and personal data—remains. Such an approach ensures flexibility, comfort, and the opportunity to be in charge of one’s own digital security in line with the needs and the budget,’ Olga Voloshyna, Chairperson of the Committee on IT and Cyber Security of the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce comments.

Reimbursement Details

With this innovation, NordProtect offers customers financial protection and comprehensive identity monitoring services to safeguard against a range of digital threats. Customers may be eligible for reimbursement of up to USD 10K for losses from online fraud incidents, excluding investment scams. 

NordProtect insures users against identity theft, cyber extortion, and online fraud while providing robust monitoring features. In cases of identity theft, NordProtect supports recovery and restoration by connecting victims with a dedicated identity restoration case manager. Customers can be reimbursed up to USD 1M for expenses related to restoring their identity, such as legal fees, lost wages, and other associated costs. For cyber extortion incidents, NordProtect offers up to USD 50K to cover expert assistance and ransom payments in situations where cybercriminals threaten to release, delete, or restrict access to sensitive personal data or smart devices.

Secure credit monitoring is also included, providing users with an individual monthly credit score and real-time alerts about suspicious credit activities. Additionally, NordProtect’s 24/7 dark web monitoring notifies customers if their personal information—such as email addresses, phone numbers, or Social Security numbers—appears in data breaches.

Not an Insurance Provider

As an identity theft protection solution, NordProtect includes elements from privacy and cybersecurity protection as well as cyber insurance benefits. This places the solution at the crossing between Cyber Security and InsurTech sectors.

‘At the moment, NordProtect is not a registered insurance provider, although we are in the process of obtaining insurance distribution licenses in several markets. Technically, NordProtect is a policyholder that provides insurance benefits to its customers, who are ultimate beneficiaries. We are partnering with selected insurance companies to support our customers facing ID theft, cyber extortion and online fraud incidents. Once our system which includes Dark Web Monitoring and TransUnion alerts identifies that customers credentials being breached or criminal activities that include identity theft, it notifies our customer to take actions to protect the identity or take recovery actions that includes reimbursement from insurance companies,’ NordProtect’s managing director Tomas Sinicki explains.

NordProtect monitoring system is built on the basis of well-developed and proven monitoring platforms like TransUnion credit bureau and Nord’s Dark Web Monitoring feature. As for customer claims, handling them falls under expertise and commitments of NordProtect’s partnering insurance companies.

‘As all Nord Security products, NordProtect platform is intuitive and does not require deep cybersecurity knowledge neither to set up the system, nor use it on a daily basis. Moreover, communication with insurance companies to claim reimbursement is similar to the one of home insurance,’ Mr Sinicki comments.

Possible Expansion and Tiers

As of now, NordProtect can not be customized by individual case based on personal risk factors or profession as it works as a one-fit-all solution now, but Mr Sinicki mentions that offering different tiers in the future is under consideration. Other plans may include expanding NordProtect as a stand-alone service in other markets.

‘In the digital world of today, where fraudsters are constantly employing new technologies to perfect their methods, the issue of safeguarding personal data becomes incredibly important. Particularly threatening is the use of generative AI which significantly facilitates complicated attacks. According to Experian’s forecast, the global losses from AI-powered fraud may reach USD 40B by 2027. In such a situation, users must not only adhere to the basic rules of safety, but also employ up-to-date solutions to safeguard themselves and their data,’ Ms Voloshyna suggests in conclusion.