Introduction
The malicious website blocker, part of Scam, phishing, and malware protection, acts as a first line of defense against web-based threats. It automatically blocks dangerous websites that are known to distribute malware or engage in other malicious activities.
How does the malicious website blocker work?
- Real-time scam warnings – Instantly notifies you if a site is on our list of known fraudulent websites, protecting you from schemes designed to steal your money.
- Anti-phishing & identity theft protection – Safeguards your digital identity by warning you about malicious websites engineered to steal your login credentials and personal information.
- Up-to-date threat intelligence – Leverages a constantly updated database of fraudulent domains to provide strong defense against both existing and newly emerging online threats.
- Always-on security – Works continuously in the background to protect your browsing activity, even when you are not using a VPN connection.
Requirements
Make sure you have the NordVPN Plus or Ultimate subscription active and that the NordVPN application is installed on your macOS or Windows device.
Here's what to do
- Open the NordVPN app.
- Click the shield icon on the left side of the NordVPN application to open the Scam, phishing, and malware protection tab.
- Click the Advanced settings card (Protection preferences).
- Scroll to the Advanced browsing protection block.
- Enable the Malicious website blocker by clicking the toggle:
Managing blocked websites
When the malicious website blocker detects a dangerous site, the threat is recorded in the Protection history. You can review and change the block status for any detected website at any time.
To manage a detected website:
- Open the NordVPN app and click the shield icon to open the Scam, phishing, and malware protection tab.
- Open the Protection history card and select the Malicious websites tab.
- Click the ellipsis (…) icon next to the website entry and choose Manage threat.
- You can switch the website status by checking the heading:
- If the heading reads Website blocked, click Unblock entire website to allow access. The status badge changes to UNBLOCKED, the heading updates to Website unblocked, and any individual URL buttons inside the Show details dropdown change to Block page.
- If the heading reads Website unblocked, click Block entire website to re-block it. The status badge changes to BLOCKED, the heading updates to Website blocked, and any individual URL buttons inside the Show details dropdown change to Unblock page.
Both actions apply to the website's domain and all associated URLs listed under Show details. You can expand or collapse this dropdown using the Show details / Hide details chevron.
Additional tips
- Be skeptical of online deals and offers that seem too good to be true.
- Never provide personal or financial information on a website you reached from an unsolicited link in an email or message.
- Before making a purchase online, verify the site's legitimacy by looking for independent reviews, a physical address, and professional design.
