We tested the malware blocking capabilities of your favorite VPNs – here’s the best that you can save on right now

1. VPN
2. VPN Services

We tested the malware blocking capabilities of your favorite VPNs – here’s the best that you can save on right now Features By Rene Millman published 26 November 2025

Cybercriminals love Black Friday as much as shoppers do, but you can now stay safe for less

Comments (0) ()

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

With the Black Friday sales season in full swing, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of flash sales and limited-time savings.

Yet, while you are scouring the web for the best Black Friday VPN deal or the perfect laptop offer, you aren’t the only one active online. Bad actors and cybercriminals ramp up their efforts this time of year, looking to exploit the sheer volume of people inputting credit card details and shopping online.

One of the most common methods used to target shoppers is malware. You might receive spam emails advertising bogus Black Friday deals that lead directly to malware-infected sites, or you could be directed there through malicious advertisements on search engines and social media platforms.

You may like

• Online scams skyrocket before Black Friday – NordVPN warns what shoppers should watch out for
• This exclusive Norton VPN price means you don't have to wait until Black Friday for a great VPN deal
• Watch out - that Amazon page offering amazing Black Friday deals could be a dodgy spoof site, and could leave you seriously out of pocket

Because these scams are designed to look identical to legitimate retailer communications, distinguishing between a bargain and a trap is becoming increasingly difficult.

This makes proactive precautions essential. Fortunately, some of the best VPN providers now include built-in malware-blocking tools to help filter out threats before they reach your device.

NordVPN is one of the strongest current offers on this front, combining privacy with advanced security features designed to protect you from online scams. Keep reading as we analyze whether it's enough to keep you safe.

NordVPN's Black Friday Deal

NordVPN Plus: 77% OFF + 3 months FREEWhile the cheapest NordVPN plan now costs $2.99/month, you need to upgrade to its Plus ( $3.89/month) to get access to NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro. In our most recent internal testing, the tool successfully identified and blocked 52% of malware samples. While it doesn't replace a dedicated antivirus, it is a massive step up for user privacy.

⛔Threat Protection Pro: Blocks ads, trackers, malware, and phishing🔒Post-quantum encryption: Future-proof security for your data🌍Server coverage: Over 7,000 servers in 118 countries💰30-day money-back guarantee: Try it for yourself risk-free

View Deal

Can you trust VPN malware-blocking?

For starters, you must understand that there's a distinction between a virtual private network (VPN) with malware-blocking features and a dedicated antivirus (AV) platform.

As our testing highlighted, NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro achieved a 52% malware blocking score. This is a solid result for a VPN add-on and offers significantly more protection than browsing without it. Yet, it does not catch everything that a dedicated AV suite would.

There is, however, a strong argument for combining your cybersecurity tools into one ecosystem, particularly for those who currently have no protection at all. For users new to cybersecurity, Black Friday sales offer a cost-effective way to get an all-in-one tool.

(Image credit: Future)

NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro suite, which is available on the Plus and Ultimate plans, goes beyond simple virus scanning. It is capable of blocking intrusive ads and trackers, flagging phishing sites, and checking downloads for malicious files.

Notably, the feature was recently tested and approved by AV-Comparatives, which rated it as one of the best tools for detecting fake shops after blocking 90% of phishing sites during the evaluation – a crucial feature during the Black Friday scramble.

Ultimately, the best defense against scammers is combining these technical tools with common sense. Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, refuse to be pressured by countdown timers into making rash purchases, and avoid clicking on links that look suspicious.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Black Friday NordVPN Malware Rene MillmanContributing Writer

Rene Millman is a seasoned technology journalist whose work has appeared in The Guardian, the Financial Times, Computer Weekly, and IT Pro. With over two decades of experience as a reporter and editor, he specializes in making complex topics like cybersecurity, VPNs, and enterprise software accessible and engaging.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Online scams skyrocket before Black Friday – NordVPN warns what shoppers should watch out for    This exclusive Norton VPN price means you don't have to wait until Black Friday for a great VPN deal    Watch out - that Amazon page offering amazing Black Friday deals could be a dodgy spoof site, and could leave you seriously out of pocket    These VPN deals blew us away over the last few years – will they be beaten in 2025?    NordVPN just dropped to its lowest price of 2025 – and we're still a month away from Black Friday!    165 million Americans suffered a data breach in 2025 – this $2 solution could stop you from being next    Latest in VPN Services NordVPN just aced an independent lab evaluation, and the timing couldn't be better    ExpressVPN might've just dropped a killer Black Friday VPN deal – but not everyone can see it right now    ExpressVPN is still the most expensive VPN in our top 5, but here's why it's worth checking out    Fed up with data snoopers? Surfshark takes IP spoofing to new heights with new Multi IP feature    My favorite VPN for gaming just dropped its prices by up to 77% − here's how to grab yours    This is the only VPN price to pay attention to over Black Friday – and it's much less than you'd expect    Latest in Features We tested the malware blocking capabilities of your favorite VPNs – here’s the best that you can save on right now    What to stream after new A24 movie Eternity, according to its director    Is ChatGPT's new shopping tool the AI personal shopper I've always wanted?    Gemini 3's Nano Banana Pro photo editing is amazing    Exclusive: I went inside Disney’s most high-tech light parade ever    Hostinger just got even cheaper - get 88% off with this Black Friday deal, exclusive to TechRadar    LATEST ARTICLES

1. 1We tested the malware blocking capabilities of your favorite VPNs – here’s the best that you can save on right now
2. 2Watch out coders - top code formatting sites are apparently exposing huge amounts of user data
3. 3Google Messages could be getting 3 useful upgrades soon – including a Gemini change
4. 4Garmin just teased a new device it's calling the 'future of wearables' – and it's coming soon
5. 5Struggling with high storage costs? Time to get deleting, as study finds up to 50% of data could be unused