NordVPN Post-quantum encryption explained

Post-quantum encryption protects your VPN connection against potential quantum computer attacks. Currently, this encryption works only with the NordLynx protocol, therefore post-quantum encryption will be disabled when you use a dedicated IP, the OpenVPN protocol, Obfuscated servers or Meshnet.

NordVPN Post-quantum encryption is available on Linux, Windows, and Android.

On Linux:

To enable or disable the post-quantum protection in NordVPN on your Linux machine, run one of the following commands:

nordvpn set pq on/off

or

nordvpn set post-quantum on/off

NordVPN post-quantum protection is the recommended option for connecting to NordVPN servers on your Linux device.

On Windows:

To enable the post-quantum protection on your Windows machine, follow these steps:

1. Open the settings menu.
   
   
   
   
2. Click on Connections.
   
   
   
   
3. Scroll down to Post-quantum encryption and enable it.
   
   
   
   After you’ve done these steps - Post-quantum encryption will be enabled on your Windows device.

On Android:

To enable post-quantum protection on your Android device, follow this guide:

1. Tap on the Profile icon in the bottom navigation bar.
   
   
   
   
2. Head over to the Settings section.
   
   
3. Enable Post-quantum encryption toggle.
   
   

Compatibility of post-quantum NordVPN

Although post-quantum encryption enhances security, there are some limits to how VPNs function:

• OpenVPN Protocol: As of right now, post-quantum protection is only compatible with the NordLynx technology and does not support OpenVPN. If you try to enable post-quantum protection with OpenVPN, the following error will display:
  
  "Post-quantum encryption is unavailable with OpenVPN. Switch to NordLynx to activate post-quantum protection"
  
  
• Meshnet Feature: Meshnet, which turns on private connections across devices, is incompatible with post-quantum protection. If both features are active, the following error will display:
  
  "Post-quantum VPN and Meshnet are not compatible. Please disable one feature to use the other."
  
  
• Dedicated IPs: Dedicated IP addresses do not support post-quantum protection. If you want to connect to a dedicated IP while post-quantum protection is enabled, you will need to disable the post-quantum feature first.

Using post-quantum protection means taking better precautions to secure your data for the future. NordVPN will continue to develop post-quantum security functionality to allow your digital privacy to remain safe now and in the future.