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The changing DNA of organized crime, Not-So-Secret Business Passwords, and UX/UI updates: catch up with NordPass in Q2 of 2025

Media and awards

Over the past few months, we have received quite a few awards. It’s a great honor to be recognized for our work creating advanced yet easy-to-use cybersecurity solutions.

GQ’s pick for the best password manager

To our great joy, the GQ team selected NordPass as the best overall password manager this year. GQ tests password managers based on price, ease of setup, and the quality of different features like autofill or password sharing. They noted that NordPass offers an easy-to-use interface, many features, and a good free tier.

American Business Stevie Bronze Medal

Here at NordPass, we strive to bring our users the best possible experience. So when there’s an unexpected hiccup or issue, our amazing Customer Support team is there to help 24/7. It was a great pleasure to be recognized by the American Business Stevie Awards with the Bronze Medal for Customer Support Department of the Year.

CyberTech category winner of the Global Tech Awards

Not a day goes by that we don’t think about how to improve and make cybersecurity effortless for individuals and companies. So, our team is truly happy to be recognized for excellence in the Cyber Security Technology category at this year’s Global Tech Awards. The selection criteria include technical quality, user experience, scalability, social impact, and more.

 

Global InfoSec Award for Passwordless Authentication

Lastly, the Global InfoSec Awards recognized NordPass for its passwordless authentication. This award celebrates NordPass’ commitment to advancing secure, password-free authentication solutions. With our passwordless authentication platform, Authopia, enterprises can enable seamless, passkey-based logins, help businesses reduce account takeover risks, and improve the user experience.

We have a passwordless login for our vault as well, so our users can access their accounts via biometrics. Additionally, NordPass supports cross-platform passkey storage and integration with identity providers like Google Workspace or Azure Active Directory.

 

Freshest NordPass updates and improvements

Okay, now let’s get back to the core of NordPass—the product itself—and see what improvements and updates our team has made.

 

Sharing Hub update

As organizations grow, the question of sharing becomes more prominent. More and more credentials are moved around teams and departments, often informally or without consistent oversight.

To tackle this problem, we released Sharing Hub this autumn, which included a viewing option that allowed organization Owners to see which items could be accessed and by whom, as well as who had shared or created them. This spring, we significantly improved the feature. Now, Owners can control access to all shared company credentials by granting, modifying, or revoking access rights for any shared item or folder as needed. They can also transfer ownership if required, all from a single place—the NordPass Admin Panel.

 

Sharing hub

 

What’s new with the company-wide Data Breach Scanner?

Similarly, we have made significant improvements to our tried-and-true Data Breach Scanner.

To ensure that your company gets the most from NordPass, we will now monitor your company’s domain based on the organization Owner’s email address, eliminating the need for separate verification. Note that in this case, you’ll only get notifications about the breaches but no detailed information on them. If you want to get that additional info, you’ll have to add your domain and verify it. As for domain verification, it’s now seamless and automated.

We also gave the breach report a facelift. Now, you’ll find a detailed description of the breach, the data it compromised, a list of affected organization members, and some recommendations for resolving the breach. In addition, admins can now see which breaches have been resolved and by whom.

Lastly, the “Breach details” list is now easier to navigate because it clearly distinguishes members’ statuses within the NordPass organization. It shows whether members are uninvited, suspended, or Admins, and which groups they belong to.

Data Breach

 

Business Account session management

From now on, organizations can set a 1-hour, 4-hour, 1-day, 7-day, 30-day, or custom time interval, after which the member session will end, and they will be logged out from NordPass. To continue using NordPass, the member will need to log in again, either using SSO or their Business Account credentials, and then verify their account with MFA, Master Password, or biometrics. For optimal security, we recommend setting the interval to 7 days. After this time, the member will need to log in again.

 

Filtering the Activity Log

Up next is the filtering improvement for the Activity Log feature. The Activity Log lets organizations gain insight into user activities by tracking access updates and identifying unusual behavior. From now on, Admins and Owners can search the Activity Log by the item ID, allowing them to streamline security investigative processes by quickly identifying suspicious activities. This filtering option, together with filtering by member and date, allows admins to see all actions made to a particular item.

activity log

 

Integration with Microsoft Sentinel

By striving to build a seamless NordPass user experience, we have integrated with Microsoft Sentinel, an SIEM tool. From now on, our Enterprise customers can significantly strengthen their organization’s ability to meet compliance objectives by maintaining audit trails.

This integration allows Enterprise users to export and access NordPass activity logs alongside the data from other systems within Microsoft Sentinel. In doing so, companies can gain a holistic view of their security posture, conduct analysis, and quickly detect and respond to potential threats.

 

You asked, and we delivered

We are always eager to hear your feedback and improve accordingly. So, with that in mind, we ended last quarter with several user experience tweaks. Starting with the NordPass autofill icon, we have made 2 UX improvements:

  • You can now easily tell if your vault is locked thanks to the improved NordPass autofill icon. If you want to unlock the vault, simply click on the icon to open the pop-up window where you can enter your Master Password or use biometrics.

  • You can now turn off the NordPass autofill suggestions by clicking the icon. The choice will stay the same throughout the form you’re filling in.

autofill

 

NordPass’ interface redesign

The vault interface across all our platforms and the Admin Panel are where our users primarily engage with and monitor their cybersecurity status. Therefore, we want to provide the most user-friendly experience possible. This quarter, we made some design changes to the iOS, Android, and other platforms to give the UI a more modern look and feel, in line with our NordPass rebranding, which we revealed last year. Additionally, all these platforms have seen usability improvements.

 

Research and other reports

This quarter was equally rich with research and reports, ranging from our classic report on the most common passwords to a brand-new one on digital anxiety. So let’s see what we discovered:

 

TOP 20 Not-So-Secret Business Passwords

Together with NordStellar, we’ve analyzed the most common business passwords from 11 industries to uncover the habits behind office doors. Unfortunately, the password patterns are poor and truly not-so-secret. So poor, you might be able to guess the 3 most popular corporate passwords yourself. Yes, they’re “123456,” “123456789,” and “12345678.” If you guessed “password,” don’t worry, it’s on the list.

Our research also showed that using an email address as a password is just as common—it’s convenient, yes, but it’s one of the quickest ways to give your business credentials to hackers. Similarly, many people use their names for work-related passwords—another unfortunate practice that can expose the entire organization’s sensitive data to potential threats.

top 20 not so secret bisiness passwords

 

TOP 200 Most Common Passwords

Ah, and yes, what’s NordPass without our annual TOP 200 Most Common Passwords research? It’s our sixth year in a row—this time, in collaboration with NordStellar—analyzing people’s password habits. And not so shockingly, they are still bad.

We researched passwords from 44 countries that were stolen by malware or exposed in the data leaks. Because they were leaked with email addresses in most cases, we could distinguish corporate and personal credentials by domain name, gaining more insight into both areas.

Top 200 most common passwords

 

Digital Anxiety Report

This quarter, we tapped into a new field and released a study on digital anxiety. We wanted to see how many people struggle with it and what’s causing it. The results, or reasons for digital anxiety, are probably those that most people will relate to.

Nearly 80% of people have digital anxiety, which mostly comes from the fear of facing cybersecurity issues like account takeover, identity theft, or scams. However, mild to moderate anxiety was reported due to excessive ads or lack of internet access. As it turns out, even minor inconveniences online can take a toll on our mental well-being.

 

Stop reusing passwords

Do you have that one good and faithful password you’ve used since high school? Maybe it’s scaterrrboi!94, which ticks most sites’ requirements for password length and includes a special character and two numbers—why change it? Well, according to our recent survey, it turns out that it’s common to reuse passwords. Learn more about why people still reuse passwords in 2025 and why this habit poses a formidable threat to cybersecurity.

 

Ex-hacker: 5 cyber threats that password managers protect against

We seek to spread knowledge about cybersecurity in every possible way, and sometimes, showing the nitty-gritty behind it is just what might be needed. So this spring, we collaborated with Daniel Kelley, a reformed black hat hacker, to understand the 5 main cyberattacks that can be prevented using a password manager. These threats include phishing, credential stuffing, brute-force attacks, keyloggers, and database leaks. By revealing the inner workings of these attacks, Daniel shed light on why relying on a password manager is vital.

Cyber threats

 

2025 EU-SOCTA: the changing DNA of organized crime

The EU-SOCTA documented a serious shift in organized crime: it seeped into the online world, creating new hybrid and wholly virtual threats that require unprecedented strategies to tackle. These threats may be accelerating and becoming more dangerous and destabilizing.

For example, one of the biggest threats posed by serious and organized crime is the destabilization of the EU. Criminal organizations aim to reduce trust in the legal system and government by spreading violence, corruption, and illicit proceeds. They rely on digital innovations like AI to conceal their activities and make tracing crime back to its source harder.

Although the landscape painted by the EU-SOCTA might seem grim, it indicates potential future trends, allowing individuals and businesses alike to prepare for evolving risks. So, we took this opportunity to explain how Nord Security products, including NordPass, can help.

Breaking down SOCTA 2025

 

Bottom line

And that’s a wrap! This quarter was busy with research and product improvements. Yet one thing is clear: we’re not planning to stop this summer, so we’ll see you again in a few months to review what we’ve been brewing. Stay safe with NordPass!

About NordPass
NordPass is developed by Nord Security, a company leading the global market of cybersecurity products.

The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

How to connect multiple offices with a VPN

Summary: A VPN enables companies to securely link multiple sites and provides employees with safe access to internal resources.

If your business has multiple locations, you probably want them all to stay connected, right? You need information to flow smoothly between sites, without any hiccups. But it’s not like you can achieve that by just plugging in a few cables. It doesn’t work like that.

What you need is to set up—that is, digitally build—a robust and secure network that can connect multiple offices without ever putting your company’s data at risk. That’s where a VPN enters the scene. Let’s show you how you can use it to create a secure connection between your sites.

Why companies need to connect multiple offices securely

It doesn’t matter if your company connects just two offices or a dozen—once you’ve got one network linking multiple locations, someone might be looking for a way to get into one site and use it as a gateway to others.

That is, if your connection isn’t properly secured, cybercriminals could potentially break into your internal systems from any of the connected sites. Even if not, they might try to intercept sensitive data as it moves between locations. Either way, it could lead to stolen customer information, leaked intellectual property, or exposed communication like internal emails.

And that’s not all. A weak connection between company offices can open the door for malware or ransomware to spread. Just one compromised location can put your entire network at risk. That kind of breach can bring all your operations to a halt and cost you a lot of time and money.

Last but not least, there’s compliance. As you know, many industries have strict data privacy rules—like GDPR, HIPAA, and many others. So, if your office-to-office communication isn’t well protected, you could end up not being compliant with the regulations, which can lead to fines, legal issues, or damage to your reputation.

 
How you can connect to the company network via VPN

Most people think of a VPN—short for Virtual Private Network—as software that hides their device’s IP address and keeps their internet activity private. And that’s true—but VPNs can do more than that. For example, employees can use them to connect securely to their company’s internal network.

So, how does it work from the user’s perspective? This is done using a VPN client—an application that allows your device to connect securely to a VPN server. But instead of connecting to a public or random server, you’re connecting to your company’s own virtual private network.

Of course, that VPN server isn’t open to just anyone. The company must first give you access rights or configure your account to allow VPN access. Then, each time you try to log in, you’re verified, usually through authentication methods such as passwords, TOTP (time-based one-time password) codes, or magic links.

Once you’re authenticated, the VPN client and the company’s server create an encrypted tunnel between your device and the internal network. This allows you to safely access files, apps, and other internal systems—just as if you were in the office, connected to the company Wi-Fi.

Key benefits of using a VPN to connect multiple locations securely

We’d go as far as to say that once a business grows beyond a single headquarters, setting up office-to-office VPN connectivity isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. Why? Because it brings so many benefits to how teams work and collaborate that it becomes an operational necessity.

Top reasons to use a VPN for connecting multiple sites

Here are a few key advantages of connecting your offices through a VPN:

  • Secure data sharing: By creating encrypted VPN tunnels between your offices, you ensure that sensitive information remains protected during transfer from one location to another.
  • Consistent access to company systems: Employees in different locations—including remote workers—can securely access shared systems, services, and data as if they were all working side by side.
  • Reduced costs: Rather than paying for expensive dedicated connections between offices, a VPN allows you to safely use the public internet at a fraction of the cost.
  • Improved access management: When you connect multiple offices with a VPN, your IT team can easily manage network resources, monitor activity, and enforce strict security policies—all from one central place.
  • Controlled access: VPN gateways let you restrict which parts of the company network employees can access, making sure that everyone can only reach the resources they’re authorized to use.
  • Better collaboration: When teams can share data easily and safely across locations, working together between offices just gets smoother and more productive.

Choosing the right VPN setup for your company

Decided to connect multiple offices with a VPN? Great! Now, the next step is figuring out how to set it up. There are two main options to consider: site-to-site VPN and remote access VPN.

Each of those meets different needs and works in different ways depending on your company’s size, structure, and how your teams connect to resources. So, the setup and management will look different based on which route you take. Because of that, it’s worth taking a little time to learn about both before making a decision. Here’s what you need to know.

Site-to-site VPN

Like its name suggests, Site-to-Site VPN is about connecting entire office networks that are in different physical locations.

The way it works is by using routers or firewalls at each office, which are set up as VPN gateways. These VPN gateways encrypt and decrypt data as it travels between offices. So, data is technically moving over the public internet, but it goes through a secure tunnel from start to finish, which keeps it protected while in transit.

Once configured, these site-to-site VPN tunnels are either always active or automatically turned on when needed. As a result, devices at each location can see and access each other’s resources as if they’re on the same local network—even though they’re actually miles apart.

 

Remote access VPN

Remote access VPN allows individual users to connect to your company’s private network from any location.

So, unlike a site-to-site VPN, which connects multiple office networks together, here each employee’s device uses a VPN client to log in and create an encrypted connection to the company’s VPN server. Once that connection is established, the user gains access to the company’s digital resources. However, administrators can—at any point—control exactly what the user can see and do by using access controls, network segmentation, firewalls, and other security tools.

As the name implies, this setup is best suited for remote work, where employees are spread out around the world but still need secure access to the same company systems, data, and tools to do their jobs effectively. This setup can also be used to connect employees from different offices, treating each office as a remote site.

Best practices for configuring office-to-office VPN

Setting up a secure connection between offices looks different for every company—after all, no two companies have the same number of offices, countries, devices, or systems. But there are a few key things every company should do when setting up this kind of connection, and they are:

  • Properly configure all VPN gateways: Set up the right IP addresses, routing rules, and firewall permissions to make sure data travels securely between locations.
  • Use strong encryption: Ensure data is encrypted while in transit using up-to-date algorithms like AES-256 or XChaCha20.
  • Implement authentication methods: Use techniques like multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure only trusted users and devices can connect.
  • Monitor your VPN setup at all times: Watch out for unusual activity or connection problems to catch potential threats before they escalate.

How Nordlayer can help secure your company network

As you’d expect from a truly advanced network access security platform, NordLayer brings the best of both worlds with a secure access service edge (SASE) solution that enables the creation of a hybrid setup combining site-to-site VPN and remote access VPN.

That’s right! With NordLayer, you can create an encrypted connection between your branch offices (Site-to-Site VPN) while also making it possible for individual users to securely connect to your company’s private network (Business VPN)—simultaneously, with advanced access controls for each VPN connection.

With such flexibility, along with features like Always On VPN and support for Zero Trust policies, NordLayer makes it easy to connect multiple offices without compromising your team’s workflows.

 

About NordLayer
NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses – from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security.

The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

The Role of Immutability and Air-Gapping in European Data Protection Strategies

European data protection is undergoing a quiet but radical shift. Once centered on legal compliance and checkbox auditing, it is now a high-stakes game of cybersecurity resilience. The rise of sophisticated ransomware, targeted attacks on backup systems, and the rapid expansion of cloud and IoT infrastructure have left organizations vulnerable, even those that believe they are prepared.

Regulatory evolution, like the GDPR and the new Data Act, reflects this new reality: data must be protected, recoverable, reliable, and continuously available.

This post explores two critical technologies that have emerged as strategic defenses in this environment: immutability and air-gapping. For European businesses facing a growing cyber threat landscape, they are increasingly essential to both compliance and continuity.

The Expanding Web of European Data Regulations

The EU’s data protection framework continues to evolve in scope and complexity:

  • GDPR emphasizes privacy and security. Article 32 mandates the ability to promptly restore availability and access to personal data in the event of a technical or physical incident.
  • ISO/IEC 27001 now includes enhanced cloud and SaaS protection measures, targeting resiliency in modern infrastructure.
  • The Data Act, applicable from September 2025, shifts the conversation toward accessibility, fairness, and transparency in data usage. It mandates secure and user-controlled access to data from connected devices, raising the bar for secure data handling.

These regulations are not mutually exclusive. Together, they push organizations toward architectures that can retain data securely, enable user access and deletion, and maintain business continuity even in a crisis.

Why Backups Alone No Longer Cut It

Backups have traditionally been a fallback option, essential but passive. Unfortunately, attackers have caught up. A 2024 report on cyberattacks and ransomware shows that over 2 million cases of breaches were recorded from 556 publicly disclosed breaches in the EU.

Modern ransomware now encrypts production data and actively seeks out and destroys backup files and infrastructure. For example, some ransomware strains include scripts designed to locate Veeam or Hyper-V backups and corrupt or delete them. Others exploit admin credentials to access and erase snapshots or backup volumes. Once this happens, even the most comprehensive backup strategy is rendered useless.

This is where immutability and air-gapping enter the equation.

What Is Immutability?

Immutability is the ability to store data in a way that cannot be altered, deleted, or overwritten for a defined retention period. Data kept on immutable storage stays exactly as it is—tamper-proof and time-locked once written.

Key Benefits:

  • Ransomware protection: Attackers cannot modify or delete immutable backup files.
  • Compliance-ready: Meets retention requirements under GDPR, financial, and healthcare regulations.
  • Audit integrity: Immutability ensures logs and data are preserved without risk of tampering.

How It Works:

  • On-premises: WORM-enabled NAS or object storage.
  • Cloud: Amazon S3 Object Lock, Microsoft Azure Immutable Blob Storage.
  • Backup software: Veeam, Commvault, and others now support immutable backup repositories.

What Is Air-Gapping?

Air-gapping, particularly with relation to the internet, is the process of separating a system or network from unprotected networks. In data security, it refers to either physically (offline) or logically (network-segmented with rigorous access restrictions) storing backup copies in an environment totally separate from any production network.

Types of Air-Gapping:

  • Physical: Offline tapes or disks, manually disconnected from the network.
  • Logical: Isolated systems or networks with strict access controls, segmentation, or one-way data transfer mechanisms.

Key Benefits:

  • Ultimate isolation: Prevents lateral movement of malware to backups.
  • Survivability: Data remains safe even in the case of a full production environment compromise.
  • Resilience during disasters: Ensures recovery capacity even when networks are down or compromised.

Comparison Table: Traditional Backups vs. Immutability vs. Air-Gapping

Feature Traditional Backups Immutability Air-Gapping 
Ransomware Protection Low High Very High 
Compliance Support Basic Strong (supports audit trails) Strong (ensures data isolation) 
Recovery Reliability Uncertain (can be tampered with) High (unalterable copies) High (offline or isolated backups) 
Network Exposure Always online Online but locked Offline or segmented 
Deployment Complexity Low Moderate Moderate to High 
Cost Low to Moderate Moderate Moderate to High 
Use Case Fit General, low-risk environments Healthcare, finance, and legal sectors Critical infrastructure, manufacturing 

Together, they provide layered protection. Immutable backups protect against tampering, while air-gapping ensures backups remain unreachable by attackers.

Use Cases in European Business Environments

SaaS Providers and Cloud Services 

Companies hosting customer data under GDPR must ensure availability and recoverability. Combining immutable snapshots with logically air-gapped storage helps meet resilience and compliance requirements.

Manufacturing and IoT-Driven Sectors 

With the Data Act mandating user access to IoT-generated data, manufacturers must store and protect vast volumes of telemetry. Immutability ensures these datasets remain accurate and auditable; air-gapping protects against targeted OT attacks.

Healthcare and Public Sector 

These sectors are highly regulated and often targeted by ransomware. Immutability secures patient records against tampering, while air-gapping ensures continuity even during a breach.

Agriculture and Smart Infrastructure 

Farmers using precision agriculture tools generate sensitive location and environmental data. Air-gapped storage can help protect this data from being exploited, while immutability ensures it remains accurate for subsidies, audits, or sustainability reports.

Preparing for the Future: Security Meets Regulation

The Data Act is pushing organizations to open up their data, but doing so without compromising security will be the real challenge. With the EU emphasizing accessibility and user rights, businesses must find ways to share data without increasing exposure.

Immutability and air-gapping provide the foundational safeguards to enable this. They ensure that data is unaltered even if it is widely shared. And even in cases of network breaches, a secure, offline recovery path exists.

In this way, these technologies are not just about cyber defense. They are enablers of digital trust, the cornerstone of Europe’s data-driven future.

Final Thoughts

European data protection strategies are evolving toward a model that assumes breach readiness as much as it assumes legal compliance. Immutability and air-gapping are central to this paradigm. When implemented correctly, they help businesses meet their obligations under GDPR, ISO 27001, and the Data Act and ensure that data can survive the threats that regulations can’t predict.

Security now means continuity. In Europe’s digital future, continuity requires architecture built for the worst day, not just the best intentions.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About Storware
Storware is a backup software producer with over 10 years of experience in the backup world. Storware Backup and Recovery is an enterprise-grade, agent-less solution that caters to various data environments. It supports virtual machines, containers, storage providers, Microsoft 365, and applications running on-premises or in the cloud. Thanks to its small footprint, seamless integration into your existing IT infrastructure, storage, or enterprise backup providers is effortless.

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