6/16/22, 4:06 PM
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`Who Owns NordVPN? Can You Really Trust It? - TechNadu
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`Who Owns NordVPN? Can You Really Trust This
`VPN?
`
`By Novak Bozovic
`
`/ August 18, 2021
`
`Today's global cybersecurity market is a highly volatile one, and that especially applies to VPN
`
`companiesandtheir products. In case you didn't know,
`
`,
`
`where
`
`and then
`
`Or, there could be an iterative internal restructuring process, which has happened with
`
`which we'll inspect in-depthin this artic
`NordVPN?
`
`Welcometo TechNadu
`
`,
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`x
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`As you're aboutto see, the story surrou!
`
`only how VPNs conduct business in gen
`
`let's get started, shall we?
`
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`.
`.
`experience on our website.
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`https:/Awww.,technadu.com/who-owns-nordvpn/2951 87/
`
`Code200, UAB,et al. v. Bright Data Ltd.
`IPR2022-00861, EX. 2017
`10f5
`
`1/5
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`

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`6/16/22, 4:06 PM
`
`Who Owns NordVPN? Can You Really Trust It? - TechNadu
`
`Who Are the Founders of NordVPN?
`
`The founders of NordVPN are Tom Okman,Eimantas Sabaliauskas, and Jonas Karklys.If you click
`on the providedlinks, you'll get to their LinkedIn profiles.
`
`Interestingly enough,if you decide to dive deep into NordVPN’s website, you'll have to look very
`
`hard to spot any factual information about the VPN service's origins. Instead, you'll find plenty of
`
`vaguesentences about the VPN's ideology and background,whichstarts with this sentence: "/n
`
`2012, childhood friends came together to build NordVPN."
`
`That appears to be accurate, as NordVPN did indeed launch in 2012. However, that wasn't thefirst
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`digital product that came from the minds of Tom Okman and Eimantas Sabaliauskas, who
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`founded Tesonet in 2008. Today, Tesonetstill exists and acts as "an incubator, a venture builder, and
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`a digital frontier specializing in all things IT." On top of that, that company has 1,400 employees,
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`andit's either a creator or investor in “over 715 various global products and projects."
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`So, is NordVPN owned byTesonet? Well, not exactly. This is where the story of setting up a legally
`
`favorable backgroundof a global digital service comesinto play, so let's keep on going.
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`Who Owns NordVPN(Right Now)?
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`NordVPNis currently owned by Nord Security (NordSecLtd.), in charge of brandslike NordPass,
`NordLocker, NordVPN Teams, and Nord WL.
`
`If you take a look at NordSec’s website, you'll see that NordVPN is explicitly mentioned there,
`
`making numerousdirect links between this business entity and the VPN service. And once we
`check NordVPN‘s USregistration numbi
`However, what's interesting to noteis tk
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`Welcome to TechNadu
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`x“
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`Still, that doesn't mean NordVPN come:
`;
`;
`founders of the infamous 5-EyesAllianc
`origin, they will say that they come from
`;
`protecting your personal information.Si
`
`This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best
`experience on our website.
`
`Learn more
`
`ie
`
`https://www.technadu.com/who-owns-nordvpn/2951 87/
`
`Code200, UAB,et al. v. Bright Data Ltd.
`IPR2022-00861, EX. 2017
`20f5
`
`2/5
`
`

`

`6/16/22, 4:06 PM
`
`Who Owns NordVPN? Can You Really TrustIt? - TechNadu
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`Which Country Does NordVPN Come From?
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`As per the latest official information, NordVPN comes from Panama. The VPN claimsthatit’s
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`"using" Panama to protect your sensitive information in the best way possible.
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`Up to a point, that's true. However, we'd like to note that NordVPN usedto rely on thefact thatit
`
`comes from Panamain a very prominent wayin the past. Still, during the last couple of years, this
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`VPNshifted its marketing efforts towards proving that it doesn’t collect data. Just recently (in June
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`2021), it completed an in-depth security audit by VerSprite, where nocritical vulnerabilities were
`found.
`
`In July 2020, NordVPN allowedits no-logs policy to be verified by PwC Switzerland. In October
`2019, an audit with penetration testing was done, once again by VerSprite. And back in November
`2018, the very first audit of this VPN provider happened.
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`The main reason forall those audits was to ensure NordVPN’s users (and potential customers) that
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`this VPN is perfectly safe — and thatits original country doesn't really matter (since the VPN doesn't
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`collect any PII dataat all).
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`And now,we'd like to introduce you to NordVPN’s Panamalink, which is one of the reasons why
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`NordVPN hasshifted its marketing strategy. We're talking about a companycalled Tefincom, which
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`used to own NordVPN,and which was once proudly displayed on the VPN’s website.
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`If we check Tefincom’s registry information, we'll see that the companywasincorporated in 2016 in
`Panama. Amongthe peoplein charge, we'll find Marios Papaloizou, Alesia Kabanova, and Alina
`
`Gatsaniuk. However, other documents reveal that Tefincom’s addressis in Cyprus and thatit has
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`two employeesonly, with the person in charge being Marios Papaloizou.
`
`So, does NordVPN come from Panama,
`where NordSec's offices are found?
`
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`This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best
`experience on our website.
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`x
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`Well, as per NordVPN’'s (highly complex
`
`incorporated, Cyprus is where NordVPN
`
`Learn more
`
`https://www.technadu.com/who-owns-nordvpn/2951 87/
`
`Code200, UAB,et al. v. Bright Data Ltd.
`IPR2022-00861, EX. 2017
`3 0f5
`
`3/5
`
`

`

`6/16/22, 4:06 PM
`
`Who Owns NordVPN? Can You Really Trust It? - TechNadu
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`UK is where NordSec's offices are found. Lastly, Lithuania is where NordVPN’s team comes from
`
`and where mostof its employees work on a daily basis. Complicated, right?
`
`So, Should You Trust NordVPN? Will It Truly
`Protect Your Sensitive Information?
`
`We've seen manysituations where VPNs assisted various authorities with tracking downtheir users
`in the past. We've even seen "no-logs" VPNs do the same. So, before you start using a VPN, we
`
`recommendreading two of our highly important guides. First, here’s what device information VPNs
`typically collect, and here’s what you need to know about VPN connection and usage logs.
`
`With that said, the question isn't about whether you should trust NordVPN — but whether you
`
`should trust any commercial VPNatall? And our answer is — yes.Still, it's essential to set your
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`expectations right and use VPNs only for legitimate purposes.
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`Keep in mind that NordVPNisn't an "indie" VPN service that comes from a 2-person team.This is
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`now a product of a major corporation that has over 15 million customers. And even though its
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`legal background might soundintimidating, that also means NordVPNis well awareofits
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`promises, whichare directly related to its profits and long-term business goals.
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`NordVPN already went through a data center hack in 2018, whose consequencesnever really
`affected a single individual. On top of that, the VPN went through numerousaudits since then.
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`With that said, even though there's alwaysa possibility of someone misusing your data, a company
`
`as big as NordVPN(and withits reputation)is less likely to succumb to external pressure.
`
`What Does the Fut
`Safe to Geta Long
`
`7" Tn
`*" *""
`Welcometo TechNadu
`
`As recently revealed by ZDNet, NordVPI
`Andall of that will be fueled byits (lates
`
`By 2025, NordSecplans to expandinto|
`
`keeping your data safe and private on t
`
`https://www.technadu.com/who-owns-nordvpn/2951 87/
`
`This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best
`experience on our website.
`
`‘
`
`Code200, UAB,et al. v. Bright Data Ltd.
`IPR2022-00861, EX. 2017
`4o0f5
`
`4/5
`
`

`

`6/16/22, 4:06 PM
`
`Who Owns NordVPN? Can You Really Trust It? - TechNadu
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`of NordSecis to create a single application for consumers, combining a firewall, a VPN service, and
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`an antivirus system (which doesn't misuse your data and barely operates on the devicelevel).
`
`Andwith that said, we believe that buying NordVPN’s long-term plan is a smart idea. That
`especially goes for those whowish to save, as NordVPN offers long-term plans that bringits price
`
`downin a dramatic way. To learn more, read our NordVPN review. And also, check out what to
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`expect from NordVPN'sfree trial.
`
`That would beall for our explainer on who owns NordVPN. If you have anything to share withus,
`
`please do so via the comments section below.Andlastly, thanks for reading!
`
`Add a Comment
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`This website uses cookies to ensure you getthe best
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`https://www.technadu.com/who-owns-nordvpn/2951 87/
`
`Code200, UAB,et al. v. Bright Data Ltd.
`IPR2022-00861, EX. 2017
`5of5
`
`5/5
`
`