Nord Security and Surfshark take on ExpressVPN with huge VPN merger

Nord Security and Surfshark accept on ExpressVPN with huge VPN merger

Nord Security and Surfshark logos on a grey and blue background

(Epitome credit: Nord Security)

In the past year or so we've seen a number of VPN acquisitions and mergers, and this calendar week has brought what could exist the biggest notwithstanding – Nord Security and Surfshark joining forces to shore up their places every bit leading cybersecurity providers.

Every bit outlined in NordVPN's weblog post, the merger is intended to "assist both companies to marshal on a strategic level, meliorate satisfy the needs of our customers, and fix for time to come challenges." Both brands also explicitly country that NordVPN and Surfshark will remain separate entities, with independent teams, road maps, and client bases.

Information technology's worth noting that this merger isn't an total surprise. But days agone TechRadar reported that NordVPN and Surfshark share links with business organisation incubator Tesonet, and that both are moving bases of operations to the proposed Cyber Metropolis in Vilnius, Lithuania.

There'southward a notable parallel between this merger and Kape Technology's conquering of ExpressVPN in late 2021, but while that deal closed sooner, discussions between Nord Security and Surfshark were underway before news of ExpressVPN and Kape'due south partnership was made public.

The biggest cybersecurity brand around?

This isn't the commencement display of dominance from Nord Security in contempo times. In October 2021, Nord acquired freemium provider Atlas VPN, and at present the behemoth appears to have all the bases covered – a free VPN in Atlas, a quality cheap VPN in Surfshark, and a premium provider in NordVPN.

Due to the fact that none of the parties involved have been publicly floated on the stock market, it'southward not currently possible to report on how much each merger or acquisition has been valued at – simply an IPO far greater than ExpressVPN'south nearly-1 billion dollar valuation isn't difficult to imagine.

Compare the rivals: ExpressVPN vs NordVPN

What'south side by side?

While the aim of this merger isn't explicitly to develop a wider suite of cybersecurity products under i provider, it'south articulate that this is the management the industry is headed.

Nord Security currently offers NordVPN, cloud storage service NordLocker, countersign manager NordPass, and business VPN NordLayer, while Surfshark I comprises the standard VPN, antivirus, a secure search engine, and a tool that alerts users of breaches of personal information.

However, the simplest demonstration of this intent is Nord'south movement away from the NordVPN moniker, and the embracing of the overarching Nord Security make.

We can but imagine that these technologies will be shared between the Nord Security brands, and every bit such it'southward likely only to be a matter of time earlier your VPN is a 1-stop shop for all your cybersecurity needs. How long that will accept, though, is everyone's guess.

Mo is VPN Editor at Tom's Guide. Day-to-day he oversees VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity content, and besides undertakes independent testing of VPN services to ensure his recommendations are accurate and upward to date. When he's not getting stuck into the nitty-gritty settings of a VPN y'all've never heard of, you'll find him working on his Peugeot 205 GTi or watching Peep Evidence instead of finally putting upward those shelves.