Norton’s 2025 VPN strategy reflects a changing security landscape, where consumer expectations, regulatory pressures and technological changes are converging at unprecedented speed.
According to Himmat Bains, product manager at Norton VPN, 2025 was the year when “online privacy moved from a niche concern to a mainstream expectation.”
Let’s look back at Norton’s progress over the last year to see how the antivirus giant is positioning its VPN to meet these modern challenges, and what its roadmap for 2026 looks like.
Major performance improvements
For years, VPNs bundled with antivirus suites have struggled to compete with standalone providers when it comes to pure speed. In 2025, Norton has addressed this disparity with significant infrastructure investments.
“In 2025, we have significantly improved our performance and infrastructure,” Bains said. This wasn’t just a minor patch; this involved a physical overhaul of their server network to support high-speed connections.
Specifically, Norton introduced “25Gbps servers in major cities like New York, London, and Tokyo.” For the end user, this upgrade is essential. As streaming quality increases and internet speeds increase, the VPN layer can often become a bottleneck. By deploying higher-capacity servers in these high-traffic hubs, Norton aims to deliver “faster connection speeds” that rival dedicated competition.
Strengthen confidentiality
Trust is the currency of the VPN market, and in 2025, Norton has pushed for transparency to validate its privacy claims. The company decided to verify its architecture through third-party scrutiny, a common practice among leading vendors that Norton has now fully adopted.
We have made considerable efforts to ensure that our commitment to privacy is the best possible. »
Himmat Bains, product manager for Norton VPN
“We have gone to considerable lengths to ensure our commitment to privacy is the best it can be with two independent audits,” Bains explained.
The audits covered two distinct areas: the company’s backend infrastructure and its proprietary Mimic protocol. While many vendors use commercially available protocols like WireGuard, those that use proprietary technology bear a higher burden of proof to demonstrate security. These audits, combined with an “updated data collection policy,” represent a concerted effort to provide customers with what Bains calls “a best-in-class privacy posture.”
An evolving digital landscape
Norton’s 2025 strategy has been heavily influenced by external forces. According to Bains, “the rapid spread of generative AI has fundamentally changed the threat landscape.”
The rise of AI has made “spoofing, phishing, and data misuse more scalable and harder to detect,” creating a hostile environment for the average user. At the same time, the regulatory landscape has fractured. Bains noted that while some regions were pushing for “stricter age verification,” others were expanding “online censorship and surveillance.”
Additionally, the commercialization of user data by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) has become more brazen. “ISPs and platforms have become more explicit about monetizing user data and metadata,” Bains observed.
These factors combined have moved VPN use from being a tool for tech-savvy enthusiasts to a “basic form of digital hygiene.” Norton’s focus has now shifted to providing “always-on, default privacy” to counter these pervasive threats.
What is planned for 2026
Looking ahead, Norton is focusing on platform parity and ease of use. The immediate goal for early 2026 is to introduce the industry-standard WireGuard protocol to Apple devices.
“We are excited to introduce WireGuard to Apple platforms in the first weeks of the year,” Bains revealed. This update is expected to bring “significant speed and performance improvements” to macOS and iOS users, who previously relied on other protocols.
Beyond protocols, the roadmap points to continued refinement of the user experience. Bains outlined its mission to create “the best all-around VPN for the masses,” with further UI improvements planned throughout the year.
The road to follow
Norton VPN closes 2025 having made substantial progress in infrastructure and trust. By upgrading to 25Gbps servers and subjecting its proprietary Mimic protocol to an independent audit, it addressed the two biggest criticisms often leveled at bundled VPNs: speed and transparency.
As we approach 2026, WireGuard’s integration across Apple platforms will be a key test of its ability to deliver a seamless, high-performance experience across all devices. If Norton can combine this technical performance with its mainstream accessibility, it is well-positioned to serve an audience that now views privacy not as a luxury, but as a necessity.
