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NordVPN has scored all positive results on a new independent audit West Coast Labs put the VPN's reliability, speed, and security across key categories to the testNordVPN regularly undergoes security independent audits, with the latest occurring between June and August 2024A new independent audit confirmed NordVPN as one of the best VPN services on the market, scoring positive results across all categories.Experts at West Coast Labs tested NordVPN's reliability, speed, and security across key metrics, according to the guidelines of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO) group."Independent testing is one of the most honest measures of our work. This evaluation confirms that NordVPN delivers strong security while maintaining high levels of speed and usability – a result we’re proud to stand behind," says NordVPN CTO Marijus Briedis.TechRadar needs you! We want to know what you think about the world of VPNs. Whether you're a novice or a VPN pro, we want to hear your thoughts. Don't worry, though, your responses are completely anonymous, and it takes less than five minutes to complete!To take part, click the link below: https://futurenet.questionpro.eu/tr-vpnNordVPN audit results – performance and securityAs mentioned earlier, experts at West Coast Labs have executed a series of tests to confirm that NordVPN delivers satisfactory performance and security levels. These are:VPN functionality. During this round of tests, experts verified that some of the provider's key features work correctly and consistently. These are auto-launch on boot, auto-connect, split tunneling, and the kill switch. The latter is especially crucial for users' security.Speed performance. A series of speed tests were also conducted across seven regions (the US, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, East Asia, and Australia). NordVPN delivered 15.2% faster downloads, 12.4% faster uploads, and 7.9% lower latency.Website accessibility. The provider scored a 100% website accessibility across the 100 most visited sites, with minimal CAPTCHA occurrences.VPN system impact. Tests show a minimal impact on system performance during browsing when connected to NordVPN software.VPN time to connect and success. NordVPN scored an average connection time of 1.67 seconds across the 10 locations tested.Security and leak protection. NordVPN successfully passed all eight leak scenarios that experts tested, such as IP address, DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak checks. The evaluation also included two advanced cases – a split-tunneling flaw and the TunnelVision attack.(Image credit: NordVPN)You can find the full West Coast Labs report here.Commenting on the findings, Briedis said: "This evaluation reflects the work we’ve put into making NordVPN fast, reliable, and secure. We design it to work quietly in the background – quick to connect, light on system resources, and ready to protect across a range of scenarios, including those that test for serious vulnerabilities like TunnelVision. It’s good to see those goals confirmed."NordVPN is known for regularly putting its VPN software under independent scrutiny.Last March, the provider published the results of its latest security audit that occurred between June and August 2024. On that occasion, experts uncovered 31 non-critical findings, with most of them already fixed at the time of publication.In February 2025, NordVPN also confirmed its no-log claims with an independent audit for the fifth time since 2018.You might also likeNordVPN extends post-quantum encryption protection to all applications"VPN server count doesn't matter" – NordVPN throws a challenge to the VPN industry"A dangerous precedent" – The VPN industry reacts to France’s order to block illegal streaming sites

The FBI has taken down AVCheck, a site providing services for cybercriminalsAVCheck was used to test malware against AV providers without raising alarmsTwo crypting services were dismantled, as wellAVCheck.net, a website providing analysis services for cybercriminals, has been taken offline as part of a larger law enforcement operation conducted by the FBI, as well as Dutch and Finnish police.At press time, the website had been defaced and displayed the usual FBI takedown notice: “This domain has been seized in accordance with a seizure warrant issued in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation.”The site operated as a Counter Antivirus (CAV) service, allowing cybercriminals to test their malware against multiple antivirus engines before deploying it, helping them remain undetected during attacks. It was marketed as a "high-speed antivirus scantime checker," and enabled users to scan files, domains, and IP addresses across numerous security tools without alerting antivirus vendors.Operation EndgameMatthijs Jaspers, Team Lead of the Dutch High Tech Crime Team, described the takedown as an “important step” in the fight against cybercrime, “because it disrupts the activities of cybercriminals in the earliest stages and prevents victims,” the press release, published on the Dutch police website, stated.In the same announcement, it was said that the investigation that led to this takedown also yielded “key evidence” on the admins and users of not just AVCheck, but also related services - Cryptor.biz, and Crypt.guru.These two were ‘crypting services’ that criminals used to "crypt" malware, helping it evade detection.A separate announcement, published in late May on the DoJ’s site, says the operation resulted “in the seizure of four domains and their associated server,”.This announcement did not name specific services, but it’s safe to assume it was about these three.The takedowns are part of Operation Endgame, a large-scale, coordinated international initiative aimed at dismantling cybercriminal infrastructure, particularly focusing on malware and ransomware.French, German, Ukrainian, and Portuguese law enforcement participated in varying capacities, as well.Via BleepingComputerYou might also likeThe "largest ever" botnet takedown operation is happening right now — Operation Endgame takes multiple criminal gangs offlineTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

Poland's EU Presidency also failed to find a majority on the disputed child sexual abuse (CSAM) scanning bill The EU Commission first unveiled the so-called Chat Control proposal in May 2022In February, Poland proposed a new version to make the scanning of encrypted chats voluntaryAlso Poland has failed in its attempt to find an agreement on the controversial child sexual abuse (CSAM) scanning bill.As reported by digital rights group Netzpolitik, the Polish Presidency is the latest EU Council to give up after being unable to secure the necessary majority among EU members. The bill seeks to require all messaging services in Europe to scan users' chats, even if they're encrypted.That said, what's been deemed by critics as Chat Control may not be off the table just yet. On July 1, 2025, Denmark is set to take charge of the EU Presidency until December. A strong supporter of Chat Control, experts at Netxpolitik expect Denmark to push ahead with the proposal.TechRadar needs you! We want to know what you think about the world of VPNs. Whether you're a novice or a VPN pro, we want to hear your thoughts. Don't worry, though, your responses are completely anonymous, and it takes less than a minute to complete!To take part, click the link below: https://futurenet.questionpro.eu/tr-vpn"No agreement could be reached" – again"No agreement could be reached during the meeting," reads the summary (as published by Netxpolitik) of the final meeting held by the Polish Presidency on the matter on May 23, 2025.The EU Commission first unveiled the proposal in May 2022 as a solution to the spread of CSAM content. Since then, the proposal has seen many twists and turns, but many experts and politicians alike have warned against the privacy and security risks of undermining encrypted communications.As per its first version, all messaging software providers, no matter if they use encryption, would have been required to perform indiscriminate scanning of private messages on the lookout for CSAM – so-called 'client-side scanning'.Backlash among the industry and even among the EU political benches – the European Court of Human Rights banned all legal efforts to weaken encryption of secure communications in Europe at the beginning of 2024, in fact – brought lawmakers to adjust the wording. Last June, Belgium then proposed a new text to target only shared photos, videos, and URLs, upon users' permission.Did you know?(Image credit: Getty Images)Encryption is a technology that the likes of WhatsApp, Signal, ProtonMail, and even the best VPN apps use to scramble users' messages into an unreadable form to prevent unauthorized access. Put simply, end-to-end encryption guarantees that our chats stay private.This version didn't satisfy either the industry or voting EU members, though, due to its coercive nature. As per the Belgian text, users must give consent to the shared material being scanned before being encrypted to keep using the functionality.Fast-forward to February 2025, Poland tried to find a better compromise by making the scanning of encrypted chats voluntary instead of mandatory and classified as "prevention."While experts found this version a "major progress," they still lamented the risk of mass surveillance.Throughout the entire Presidency, EU members couldn't agree on a satisfactory wording, despite several attempts to amend the compromise text.As reported by Netzpolitik, during the last meeting, many EU member representatives expressed their concerns. These included even countries that previously joined the in-favor list, like Italy, Romania, and France. The latter even stated, "It doesn't make sense to continue working with this text at all."As mentioned earlier, Denmark is expected to keep trying to find an agreement on the CSAM scanning proposal after starting its Presidency in July.This comes as the EU Commission is also set to kick off its enquiry into lawful encryption backdoor under a new controversial plan, ProtectEU. Despite being in its infancy, the strategy has already attracted strong criticism across the industry.You might also likeTelegram pledges to exit the market rather than "undermine encryption with backdoors"Chat Control 2.0? Experts urge the EU not to undermine encryption with new ProtectEU planSecure encryption and online anonymity are now at risk in Switzerland

In case you missed it, the State of Unreal 2025 event kicked off today, and began with a keynote from CD Projekt Red and a technical demo for its upcoming game The Witcher 4.The Witcher 4 was only revealed a few months ago, and it looks like it won't be arriving until 2027 at the earliest, but thankfully, today's new footage has given us just enough to get by while we wait.There are a bunch of notable things to unpack from the almost 10-minute showcase, from a new region, fancy Unreal Engine 5 tech, and a new companion, but I've managed to pick out the top five things that stood out to me the most.1. Meet Kelpie(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)Just like Geralt of Rivia had Roach in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it seems that in The Witcher 4, Ciri will have her own horse friend named Kelpie to keep her company along her journey.Kelpie originates from The Witcher novels and was first owned by a man named Hotspurn before the mare came into Ciri's care. The black mare was initially unnamed until Ciri saw her and Hotspurn crossing a river, after which Ciri named her Kelpie.From the footage, it looks like Ciri will be able to call her horse to her by whistling, like Geralt does to Roach. Interestingly, in the books, Kelpie could be summoned by rubbing a magical bracelet, but it's unclear if this tidbit will be added to the game.Since Ciri and Kelpie will be exploring the world together, CD Projekt Red explained that riding needs to "feel seamless, natural, and just fun". To support that, the studio has introduced something called "multi-character motion matching" in Unreal Engine 5, making the pair "perfectly synchronized" when mounting from any angle and speed.Hopefully, Kelpie won't wander off and find herself stuck on a roof like Roach.2. A never-before-seen location(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)When The Witcher 4 was initially revealed, CD Projekt Red confirmed that the game will introduce new regions of the Continent, but that the map will remain "more or less the same" size as The Witcher 3".In the latest tech demo, we were provided with our first look at Kovir, a mountainous region filled with dense forests and snowy cliffs. The footage also showed us our first look at the region's port town of Valdrest, which is teeming with NPCs.In The Witcher lore, the northern region is famous for its glass industries and was once an earldom of Redania, but now forms a part of the kingdom of Kovir and Poviss.3. It was captured all on the PS5?(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)According to CD Projekt Red, the latest tech demo is running on a base PlayStation 5 at 60 FPS, with ray tracing enabled. At first, I thought the footage was from a high-end PC or even a PS5 Pro, so it's hard to believe that a game that looks this good could handle a current-gen console.Although it wasn't stated during the event, CD Projekt Red has since clarified (via VGC) that the footage was a tech demo set in The Witcher 4 world, and wasn't The Witcher 4 gameplay, suggesting that what we saw won't be connected to the narrative."This is a tech demo, and a first look at the cutting-edge technology powering The Witcher 4 – but not The Witcher 4 itself," a spokesperson told VGC."It showcases the powerful foundation we’re building in close collaboration with Epic Games to push open-world design further than ever before and the core systems and features we’re developing using Unreal Engine 5."We’re really proud of this early milestone and excited to give you a sneak peek at some of the cool tech like UAF, Nanite Foliage, Smart Objects, ML Deformer and FastGeo Streaming that are helping shape the future of The Witcher."4. Killing monsters(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)Before the technical demo kicked off, the keynote started with a short cinematic showing a group of men from Korviso and their shipments of salt being attacked in the middle of the night by a monster called a Manticore.As the scene transitions to Ciri, we see that she has been tasked with investigating the missing men and shipment by a Valdrest local, and presumably, hunt and kill the creature.Initially, I thought this quest could be set at the beginning of the game to give players a sense of their surroundings and to get familiar with mechanics, similar to Geralt's quest to hunt the Griffon at the start of The Witcher 3.However, considering the footage isn't actual Witcher 4 gameplay, and instead just a tech demo set in the world of The Witcher 4, it's unclear if this quest and the Manticore will make an appearance in the full game.5. Let's get technical(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)Since this demo was showcased at the State of Unreal 2025 event, we were sure to get a lot of juicy technical details about what exactly is making The Witcher 4 look so good.All features mentioned are being developed, tested, and will eventually be released to all Unreal Engine developers, starting with today’s Unreal Engine 5.6 release.These include the new Unreal Animation Framework, Nanite Foliage rendering, and MetaHuman technology with Mass AI crowd scaling, which are being utilized to help deliver an immersive world at 60 FPS without compromising on quality.The Unreal Animation Framework powers realistic character movements in busy scenes, which we can see in action in the port town of Valdrest, while FastGeo Streaming, developed in collaboration with Epic Games, allows environments to load quickly and smoothly.Nanite Foliage is being used as a way to make environments look and feel more realistic, allowing developers to fill forests and fields with dense detail without sacrificing performance.Then there's the Mass system, which handles large, dynamic crowds easily, and ML Deformer, which adds subtle, realistic touches to character animations, "right down to muscle movement", like was demonstrated with Kelpie.You might also like...Upcoming games 2025 for console and PCNew PS5 games 2025: most anticipated PS5 release datesGhost of Yotei pre-orders live: Collector's Edition up in the US, Standard Edition retailers, and where to buy in the UK

Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti is already present in the top GPUs for Steam gamersIt has a small but appreciable 0.21% market share, less than two months after its launchAMD’s RX 9070 models have yet to appear in the Steam hardware survey at all, though its fortunes may change with RX 9060 GPUsNvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti GPU has only been out for a month and a half, but it’s already established itself as a better-selling graphics card than AMD’s RX 9070 models, according to the latest Steam hardware survey for May.In fact, as VideoCardz highlighted, AMD’s new RDNA 4 GPUs still haven’t yet managed to appear anywhere on the list of the most popular graphics cards, going by the rigs of Steam gamers, whereas the RTX 5060 Ti is on 0.21% market share after less than two months.That’s the second biggest gain of the month, behind only the RTX 5070, which picked up 0.33% of GPU market share to end up on 0.71%.The RTX 5080 also crept up to 0.47%, a gain of 0.09% for the month of May. With the RTX 5070 Ti increasing by 0.11% to a total of 0.38%, the RTX 5000 family accounts for 1.77% of all gaming PCs on Steam, as per this snapshot from last month.Whereas AMD’s RX 9070 models have yet to gain any percentage points in the Survey, despite being launched at the beginning of March, three months ago.Of course, take the results from one survey with an appropriate amount of caution, although this month doesn’t appear to have been affected by any regional-based oddities. Sometimes, we can see a significant shift in the number of PCs included from Asia, which have different hardware preferences, and this can cause specific GPUs to appear as if they’ve gained popularity, when in fact it's merely a reflection of the survey respondents' makeup.Analysis: On-shelf pricing and consumer perceptions(Image credit: Shutterstock / DC Studio)Why are AMD’s RX 9070 models flailing around in terms of their inability to make an impact on Valve’s survey?That’s a tricky question to answer, but in some part, it may be down to supply levels and pricing. The RX 9070, and particularly the 9070 XT, have suffered from low stock of graphics cards at the MSRP. There are models on shelves, but the pricing is inflated, and you’ll be paying quite a bit more. At the time of writing in the US, the 9070 XT commands around $800, the plain 9070 about $650, at their cheapest pricing.Despite the glowing reviews of the 9070 XT, the premium price puts this GPU well out of reach for the average PC owner. And pretty much ditto for the vanilla 9070 – or at least it puts the brakes on sales in a considerable way. The thing about the RTX 5060 Ti is that you can pick one up for as little as $390, so that’s a big difference.Okay, so it’s a different class of GPU, granted (xx70 versus xx60), and the cheaper RTX 5060 Ti models with 8GB of video RAM (VRAM) also have a sting in the tail with that lean allocation of VRAM. Meaning performance is not as good as the 16GB version of this Nvidia graphics card, which is priced close to $500 or so (all pricing is correct at the time of writing).Still, the average gamer may not care much about these performance differences. And indeed, the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB will suffice if all you’re interested in is playing some less demanding PC games at 1080p resolution without maxing out graphics options. Present this graphics card with more challenging gaming workloads for its VRAM loadout, though, and you’ve got problems, at least if you want higher graphics details, even at 1080p resolution – you’ll be looking at using medium details.As noted, though, this may not matter to a typical buyer who just wants to be able to afford a new, cutting-edge graphics card, and is happy to go with an RTX 5060 Ti because it sounds close(-ish) enough to an RTX 5070 on paper, without fully understanding the wrinkles around VRAM if plumping for the 8GB spin. This also applies very much to the RTX 5060, of course, which has 8GB as well.It'll be interesting to see if the plain RTX 5060 soon debuts in the Steam hardware survey – it has faced a lot of criticism and flak, to say the least – and indeed we have AMD’s incoming RX 9060 models, which are now imminent.The pricing and availability of those more affordable RDNA 4 graphics cards will, of course, be key, and while Team Red has pitched the MSRPs at a nicely affordable level, will that translate with the actual prices on shelves?That’s exactly what hasn’t happened with the RX 9070 models (yet), and it’ll be the crucial factor for this next RDNA 4 launch.You might also likeRumored Nvidia RTX 5080 Super specs disappoint some gamers, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with this GPUNvidia RTX 5080 vs RTX 5070 Ti: Should you spend a little more?AMD could be working on a faster RX 9070 Extreme graphics card