Configuring Advanced Settings in NordLayer VPN

While the NordLayer VPN client is designed for simplicity and ease of use, it also offers a suite of advanced features that allow administrators to fine-tune their security posture and optimize network performance. This guide delves into these advanced settings, providing the knowledge you need to customize the NordLayer VPN to perfectly fit your organization's unique requirements. Mastering these configurations will enable you to enhance security, improve user experience, and ensure compliance with your corporate policies.

Split Tunneling: Balancing Security and Performance

Split tunneling is one of the most powerful features within the NordLayer VPN. It allows you to decide which apps and websites use the VPN tunnel and which connect directly to the internet. This is incredibly useful for balancing security and performance. For example, you can configure the VPN to encrypt all traffic related to internal company resources, such as file servers and intranets, while allowing bandwidth-heavy applications like video conferencing (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) or trusted cloud services (e.g., Spotify, YouTube) to bypass the VPN. This reduces the load on the VPN server, minimizes latency, and provides a much smoother user experience. In the NordLayer control panel, administrators can easily create policies to either include or exclude specific IP addresses, domains, or even entire applications from the VPN tunnel. This granular control is essential for modern, cloud-centric work environments.

ThreatBlock: Proactive Malware and Ad Protection

ThreatBlock is NordLayer's built-in DNS filtering feature that acts as a first line of defense against a wide range of online threats. When enabled, it automatically blocks access to websites known to host malware, phishing scams, and other malicious content. It also effectively functions as an ad blocker, which can improve page load times and reduce distractions for your employees. Administrators can manage ThreatBlock settings from the central control panel, choosing from different categories of threats to block. You can also create custom whitelists and blacklists. For instance, if a legitimate website required for business operations is accidentally blocked, an administrator can easily add it to the whitelist. Conversely, if a new threat is identified, it can be manually added to the blacklist across the entire organization. The NordLayer VPN uses this feature to provide robust, proactive security that stops threats before they can even reach the user's device.

Custom DNS and Auto-Connect: Enhancing Security and Usability

For organizations that have their own DNS servers for internal name resolution or prefer to use a specific third-party DNS provider for security and performance reasons, NordLayer VPN allows for the configuration of custom DNS servers. This setting overrides the default DNS servers provided by the user's ISP, ensuring that all DNS queries are routed through a trusted and secure channel. This can prevent DNS hijacking and other forms of man-in-the-middle attacks.

Another key feature for usability and security is Auto-Connect. Administrators can configure the NordLayer VPN client to automatically connect on specific networks. For example, you can set the VPN to always connect when a user is on an unsecured public Wi-Fi network, but to remain disconnected when they are in the office and connected to the trusted corporate network. This "set it and forget it" approach ensures that employees are always protected when they are most vulnerable, without requiring them to manually enable the VPN. This seamless experience is crucial for maintaining a consistent security posture across a mobile workforce.

Device Posture Monitoring and Jailbroken Device Detection

As part of its Zero Trust approach, NordLayer VPN includes features to assess the security of the connecting device. Device Posture Monitoring allows administrators to set rules that check for the presence of an active firewall, up-to-date antivirus software, or specific operating system versions before granting network access. If a device does not meet these criteria, its access can be limited or blocked entirely until the issues are remediated.

Furthermore, the NordLayer VPN client can detect if a mobile device has been jailbroken (iOS) or rooted (Android). These modifications often disable critical built-in security features, making the device highly vulnerable to attack. By enabling jailbroken device detection, administrators can create a policy to automatically block these compromised devices from accessing corporate resources, thereby preventing a major potential security breach. These advanced features provide a deep level of control, ensuring that every endpoint connecting to your network meets your organization's security standards.