NordLayer Review: Cybersecurity for Modern Businesses

As remote and hybrid work becomes more common, businesses face the growing challenge of securing their networks. Traditional security measures no longer meet the demands of modern, distributed teams. Companies need scalable, flexible, and strong cybersecurity systems that are easy to manage.

NordLayer, developed by the team behind NordVPN, positions itself as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution for businesses. This platform blends the simplicity of VPN technology with advanced network security features like zero-trust access and endpoint control. It’s built to protect remote teams and ensure secure network access from anywhere.

In this review, we’ll explore NordLayer’s core features, strengths, and weaknesses to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your business.

What is NordLayer?

NordLayer is a secure network access platform designed for businesses. Unlike consumer VPNs, it goes beyond encryption to provide comprehensive security controls. At its core, NordLayer uses a zero-trust model, ensuring that no device or user is trusted automatically. Instead, every connection must pass through an authentication process.

The platform offers centralized control over user permissions, network segmentation, and device access. This level of control is critical for businesses looking to secure a distributed workforce while maintaining flexibility. NordLayer is also designed to scale with your organization, whether you’re a small startup or a growing enterprise.

Key Features

Business VPN with Centralized Management

NordLayer’s VPN secures data traffic between devices and servers, offering high-level encryption. What sets it apart is its centralized management system. IT administrators can create teams, assign access rights, monitor activity, and enforce policies from a single dashboard.

This centralized approach makes it easier to manage security across multiple offices or remote workers. NordLayer also includes essential features like auto-connect and kill-switch functionality, which ensures users remain protected even if the connection drops unexpectedly.

Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

NordLayer operates on a zero-trust model, meaning it continuously verifies users and devices before granting access to the network. Unlike traditional VPNs, where access is granted once connected, NordLayer performs verification on every request.

Admins can set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add another layer of security. This strict approach prevents unauthorized users from accessing sensitive business data, even if someone inside the network is compromised.

Network Access Control (NAC)

NordLayer provides robust network access control (NAC) to help businesses manage endpoints and devices. Key features include:

• Device Posture Security: Ensuring that only secure, compliant devices can access the network.
• IP Whitelisting/Blacklisting: Allowing or blocking specific IPs.
• Network Segmentation: Dividing the network into segments to limit potential damage from a breach.

These controls help IT teams monitor and restrict access to sensitive information, reducing the risks of a security breach.

SASE Readiness

While NordLayer isn’t a full-fledged SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) platform, it incorporates several SASE principles. By combining network security functions with cloud delivery, it provides secure access to resources, regardless of the user’s location. For companies beginning their journey toward a SASE model, NordLayer serves as a great starting point.

Performance and Reliability

In our tests, NordLayer performed reliably under typical business loads. The platform maintained good speeds with minimal latency even when accessing geographically restricted content. Server switching was fast, and users rarely experienced connection drops.

The platform’s backend infrastructure includes load balancing and redundancy measures to help ensure uptime. Additionally, the auto-connect feature and dedicated IP options improve reliability, particularly in business-critical environments.

Support and Documentation

NordLayer offers customer support through live chat and email. While responses are generally prompt, more complex issues may take longer to resolve. However, the support team is knowledgeable and can quickly help with common queries.

The platform also provides a comprehensive knowledge base, including setup guides, troubleshooting tips, and integration instructions. This makes onboarding and maintenance easier, especially for IT teams without deep cybersecurity expertise.