As one of the most reputable VPNs in 2024, NordVPN grants its users superb performance, privacy, and security. It’s extremely popular among users who want to put an end to government surveillance and geo-restrictions, and thus, enjoy the free and open internet. But does NordVPN keep logs in 2024? Well, this is a common question among potential users who care about their privacy and don’t want to risk it. That’s understandable because I do the same and I refuse to hand out my privacy on a silver platter to some VPN company I know nothing about.
NordVPN is the most popular service, however, it’s pretty transparent, which speaks volumes about it. And since I’ve been using it for well over a decade now, I can answer your question in-depth and give you proof that the provider keeps absolutely NO logs of your sensitive data.
Does NordVPN Keep Logs? The Examination of Privacy Policy
When talking about logging practices, the first thing we need to check out is the privacy policy. This is the only place to get in-depth information about the VPN’s logging practices. I said many times that NordVPN is safe to use and that applies to both logging practices and security features.
However, in this article, we’ll focus on the information that the provider logs or doesn’t log.
For the start, the provider will NOT store logs of your browsing history, DNS address, DNS queries, geolocation, connection data, and other compromising bits of information. This means it won’t be able to identify particular users, as they’ll be completely anonymous.
In addition, I want to mention that the provider stores no logs of your browsing history and used bandwidth. As such, it has no info about what you’re doing online and how much bandwidth you use each day, which adds to the overall privacy.
Besides, NordVPN uses RAM-only servers, which wipe every bit of data with each restart, ensuring no data is being kept on any server. Moreover, the service uses a proprietary DNS server, which eliminates third-party DNS services and ensures no one can access your data when using the VPN.
Now, for the service to function, the provider must store some information. This information is minimal and includes basic data in an anonymized form. For example, there’s your email address and payment data for the subscription to work properly.
Also, the company stores your username and a single timestamp of the last session status. The latter is deleted after 15 minutes of the session termination. It also stores statistical server load information used for recommending the best server for you.
Of course, for troubleshooting purposes, it’ll store in-app even information in an anonymized form that can’t be traced back to you. All of the information that NordVPN stores is benign and can’t be used to identify a user in any way, shape, or form.
Third-Party Audits from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and Cure53
To confirm that its VPN service stores no logs, NordVPN went not one, not two, but THREE steps further. After two successful audits from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, with the last one in 2021, the provider recently received a third audit from Deloitte.
This company directly examined its server configuration, technical logs, and general infrastructure to confirm that the provider stays true to its no-logging claims. Deloitte indeed confirmed, after about 20 days, that NordVPN didn’t violate any of its claims and that it stores no logs of the said information.
In fact, NordVPN is one of the first VPNs to get a third-party audit. In 2018, PriceWaterhouseCoopers confirmed its no-logging claims only to come back the second time in 2021 and do the same. NordVPN also received a third-party audit from Cure53.
This time, the German company did a penetration test and source code audit, praising NordVPN’s infrastructure, mobile apps, and commitment to privacy. While Cure53 detected some vulnerabilities in NordVPN’s system, the company swiftly fixed them with the help of its auditor.
Where Is NordVPN Located?
Lastly, we should talk about NordVPN’s jurisdiction which plays a big role in its safety and security. This company is based in Panama, which represents one of the best jurisdictions for a VPN service. For one, it’s outside of the 5 Eyes countries, and two, it’s an off-shore location.
Panama has no strict data-retention laws, which means it won’t require a company to store and hand out user-related data to the authorities. That isn’t the case in 5 Eyes countries like the US or the UK, for example, which are notorious for these practices.
For that reason, we have many VPNs from these countries that cooperated with the authorities and divulged user information on many occasions. I suggest you check out our HMA VPN review where we talked about a similar incident with that VPN.
With NordVPN, issues like this are non-existent and you can be sure your privacy will never be jeopardized. Its privacy-friendly jurisdiction in conjunction with a certified no-logging policy and other security features makes it one of the safest and most secure services in 2024.
Conclusion: Is NordVPN Keeping Logs? NO!
In the end, let’s repeat the question once again – is NordVPN keeping logs? Judging by everything I said in this analysis, it’s clear that NordVPN keeps no logs of your personal information or any kind of data that could compromise your privacy.
We’re talking about a highly secure service with several third-party audits, plenty of security features, and an excellent reputation among its users. Besides, NordVPN’s image has been built over the years and it’s the largest VPN company in the world.
With so many users enjoying its services, it would be foolish to betray those who trust the company. Thus, in 2024, I can tell you that NordVPN is a respectable zero-log service that will protect your privacy, security, and anonymity with no compromises.
You can read our NordVPN review to get even more details about its service.
FAQ
We now know that NordVPN keeps no logs and is perfectly safe to use. Let us clarify a few more things about it that haven’t been mentioned in the article.
Was NordVPN hacked?
Well, you could say so. There’s been a small incident a few years ago when the provider was breached. However, this happened on a single server in Finland with no consequences. NordVPN quickly patched up the issue and hackers couldn’t steal any information.
That’s because of its RAM-only servers and no-logs policy, both of which ensure no data logging occurs. Essentially, hackers have been met with an empty server and couldn’t extract any data. Since 2018 when this happened, NordVPN changed a lot – for the better.
It received a few more audits and upgraded its security measures to include a new protocol, Private DNS, and much more. It’s safe to say such incidents won’t happen anymore.
Is NordVPN a good provider?
Good is an understatement. It’s one of the top options in 2024 along with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. This is an all-around service with streaming, torrenting, and privacy capabilities. Best of all, it’s affordable and costs slightly over $3 a month.
Is NordVPN selling my private data?
No, it isn’t. Remember that this is a premium VPN, so it already earns money from selling subscriptions. It doesn’t need to collect and sell your data like free VPNs akin to Hola, Urban VPN, Betternet, and many others.
