As 2021 is coming to an end, we at Nord Security want to reflect on the most meaningful moments the company experienced this year. The Nord Security group is home to NordVPN, NordLayer, NordWL, NordPass, NordLocker, and Atlas VPN.
This year was full of challenges, but I guess you can say that about every year when you work in the cybersecurity sphere. Despite everything, we grew as a team with 230 people joining the company this year, as a product with the implementation of new features, and as an organization whose goal is to raise digital literacy awareness.
Eimantas Sabaliauskas, co-founder of Nord Security
NordVPN Teams has become NordLayer
NordVPN Teams started as a business virtual private network provider back in 2020. It has since expanded its cybersecurity offering and outgrown the name — a VPN is now just one of the components.That's why the decision was reached to change the name to NordLayer. The rebrand is set to facilitate the product's move towards the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) framework, the industry standard in cybersecurity for organizations.
Acquiring ISO 27001 and ioXt certifications
In 2021, Nord Security's business products (NordLayer, NordWL, and NordPass Business) have achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification for their information security management system (ISMS).
"The process of obtaining this certification involved testing our information management system to make sure we comply with the highest requirements. We successfully performed the meticulous audit process and can now reassure our clients that we meet high standards they deserve," says Tom Okman, the company's CEO .
Another important milestone was the Internet of Secure Things Alliance (ioXt) certification, acquired by the NordVPN mobile app for Android. The ioXt Compliance Program is said to bring transparency to consumer and enterprise buyers as well as to advance security in the internet of things (IoT) industry as a whole.
Boosting security with an audit and a bug bounty program upgrade
In 2021, NordVPN completed client security testing performed by VerSprite, a global leader in cybersecurity consulting and advisory services. Such audits help to evaluate NordVPN's reliability and focus on key security elements helping to maintain the highest standards in the industry.
NordPass Business has also undergone a comprehensive security audit carried out by the German auditing firm Cure53. It allowed NordPass to be seen in a different way and enabled the company to take action and improve the security of the service.
Furthermore, in a mission to increase its security, Nord Security expanded the bug bounty program to all of its products and increased the rewards tenfold on the HackerOne platform. Ethical hackers who report unknown critical vulnerabilities now can expect US$50,000 or more.
Advancing products with Nord Account and third-party logins
This year, Nord Security also introduced Nord Account, which brought multi-factor authentication to all of its products. Nord Account offers users a secure and simplified way to use and manage Nord family product accounts.
"Nord Account now supports security keys, such as YubiKey, which allows the use of MFA," says Tom Okman, CEO at Nord Security. "And we're not going to stop here. Additional multi-factor authentication methods, such as biometrics, will be implemented soon. The industry is moving towards passwordless flows, and we're striving to keep up."
Another upgrade to Nord Account was implemented with third-party logins. This feature enables users to log in to their Nord Account using their existing Google credentials.
Bringing awareness with International VPN Day
On August 19, 2021, NordVPN initiated and celebrated its first International VPN day. The goal of this event is to raise awareness of online security and the important role VPNs play in keeping users safe. On this day every year, the company invites all users to assess their digital habits and learn more about cybersecurity in general.
Atlas VPN joining Nord Security
Nord Security solidified its spot as the premier cybersecurity company by extending its portfolio of cybersecurity brands and incorporating Atlas VPN. This "freemium" VPN solution has become a part of Nord Security's corporate structure and is required to adhere to the core principles of transparency and trustworthiness set by the Nord brands.
About Nord Security
Nord Security is home to advanced security solutions that share the Nord brand and values, including the world's most advanced VPN service NordVPN, the next-generation password manager NordPass, encrypted cloud storage NordLocker, and the advanced network access security solution NordLayer. Established in 2012, Nord Security's products are now acknowledged by the most influential tech sites and IT security specialists.