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As part of the ongoing story, it’s also very affordable by the year, and as of our most recent review, a lot faster and easier. NordLocker is by far the most security-Conscious online storage service I’m aware of — exactly what I’d expect from the purveyors of NordVPN.
In a fresh development, this value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined.
In a fresh development, non-optional encryption, strong rules for the dual passwords….You name it, it’s there — exactly what you’d expect from the purveyors of NordVPN. In my original review of NordLocker, I was impressed from the get-go with its hardline attitude toward securing your data.
According to the latest update, i kind of miss that. That said, this most recent drop isn’t quite as obsessive about its mission (no local encryption).
In a fresh development, regardless, throw in affordable yearly plans and you have a short-lister for the security-conscious user.
Industry observers note that further reading: Best online backup services.
Industry observers note that they were a tad ungainly in understanding and operation, though easy once you were at home with the concept. Formerly, NordLocker used lockers, or encrypted blobs (their word, not mine), that you first had to create before storing files in them.
Industry observers note that the locker system has been replaced with the more common free-form, virtual file/folder-based interface that we’re familiar with from other services such as Dropbox, One Drive, Google Drive, etc.
According to the latest update, nordLocker still offers a browser interface, but there’s a fresh Windows background client that creates the aforementioned virtual folder you can drag files to.
In a fresh development, inside the NordLocker folder you can right-click and select whether you want the file to remain local, or exist only online. The virtual folder handles said files just like Windows: Files dragged from the same drive are moved to the NordLocker folder, while files from other drives are copied.
According to the latest update, double-clicking on an online file downloads it for editing. Inside the NordLocker folder you’ll see small icons to the right of the file name that indicate a file’s status: synced, secure, uploading, or online.
Industry observers note that the “Only online” option serves the same basic purpose, albeit with the extra step of getting the file to the virtual folder. Missing in action from this drop, however, is the context menu “Backup” function, which basically uploaded a file to NordLocker online.
In a fresh development, a fresh version was said to be in the works, but for now Mac users are relegated to the admittedly, more-than-adequate browser interface. And truth be known, that’s what I prefer. Also gone is the macOS client I used for half of my testing last time.
According to the latest update, makes sense, I suppose, but Windows has had optional encryption for a long time. Finally, there’s no longer any NordLocker local encryption of data, with the reason as explained to me being that Windows now encrypts local drives by default.
Industry observers note that the publisher claims a ten-fold improvement in performance with multiple file transfers benefiting greatly. I never noticed any issues in my previous hands-on, but apparently at scale there were complaints. The fresh (to NordLocker) methodology is a byproduct of completely reworked infrastructure using a journaling approach (changes are added to a “log” or journal.
According to the latest update, after all, it still broadly describes the concept of uber-secure online storage. Speaking of which. Despite no longer exactly describing the methodology, the NordLocker name has been retained.
According to the latest update, you must define both an account login password and a storage encryption password when you first access NordLocker. Unlike other services that also offer secondary or two-key security, NordLocker requires it.
The report highlights that nice. That’s a first for me with consumer-oriented services. Make sure you download it and save it to a safe place. NordLocker provides a downloadable recovery key that you can employ should you lose or forget the encryption key.
Industry observers note that the website also disables browser automatic password entry for the secondary password (not the log on) — you’ll need to type it in. Further, you can automatically lock the apps after a definable period of time so that you must enter the secondary password whenever you run the client or visit the website.
Industry observers note that note that I’m generally not a fan of the modern two-factor security that bad people have forced us into. I thought I might be wincing in security pain from all this, but I acclimated to it quickly and grew to appreciate it.
Industry observers note that both are attractive, quick, and stable. They also now use a “light” (white background) mode, though “dark” mode is still available if you prefer it. There are still clients for Android and iOS.
According to the latest update, nice. NordLocker provides a downloadable recovery key that you can employ should you lose or forget the encryption key.
As part of the ongoing story, i’m not sure exactly how this is more secure. Note that you may need to set Chrome as your default browser for this to work on Android. DuckDuckGo did not work for me on that ecosystem. Unusually, NordLocker uses your phone’s browser to connect the clients to your account.
The report highlights that as you can see above, they didn’t manage the trick on iOS. I’d love to be able to show you screenshots of said Android client, but NordLocker is so security-conscious that they disable the ability to share screen caps.
According to the latest update, sharing is of course available, and it’s also more secure than most — generating a security code to accompany a link. Newly, users may now toggle the security code and set a custom expiration date for these links. NordLocker’s service offers only a few amenities.
In a fresh development, a bit flummoxing was no preview for the simplest of file: .txt. Online file viewing is available for a few static file types such as Word documents, PDFs, and images (.jpg, .png), but not audio or video.
The report highlights that note that audio and video file viewing is quite often buggy, or painfully slow even with online services that provide the capability.
As part of the ongoing story, there are also file requests so you can create links for others to upload files to your lockers. There is zero online editing, but you can allow other NordLocker users access (formerly defined as “Editors”) so they can download and edit files.
Industry observers note that the biggest issue currently is that there’s no versioning, no trash, and no undo. While NordLocker does a magnificent job of protecting your data from bad guys, it’s not nearly as adept at protecting you from yourself.
According to the latest update, this lack is the reason the service gets a 4 and not a 4.5 verdict. The publisher informed me a fix was on the way, but that was two years ago, and still no dice. Get ‘er done, guys! If you happen to delete a file on the web or in the client in a two-way sync folder, you’re outta luck getting it back.
The report highlights that but that’s also rather unfair as NordLocker makes no pretense about being an online office suite — its gig is secure storage. The other “drawbacks” are the relatively small set of file types that may be previewed and the lack of document editing.
Industry observers note that i’m not a fan of virtual drives and folders that act like standard Windows folders — right up until they do not. Virtual folders also force you to use them for things you want backed up, and waste space if you’re dragging files from other drives or locations. That goes for One Drive, Dropbox, and the lot. On a purely personal note, I liked NordLocker’s unique former approach.
According to the latest update, carbonite, with its context-menu integration that leaves files where you want them, remains the gold standard of online backup interfaces in my humble opinion.
According to the latest update, to reiterate, that’s the first year only. After that, you pay the higher rate. As of the writing of this article, NordLocker was offering a steep first-year discount on its $83.88/500GB and $179.88/2TB plans, to the tune of $35.88 and $83.88, respectively.
The report highlights that nordLocker also offers a free 3GB plan (sweet!), as well as $8/500GB and $20/2TB monthly plans.
In a fresh development, in the grand scheme, Nordlocker is neither outrageously expensive, nor fantastically cheap.
As part of the ongoing story, usually, there’s a few minutes of lag on the clients. This may have something to do with the infrastructure between the server and my residence in San Francisco, but NordLocker was way quicker than most — encrypted lockers or no. In my first test, I was impressed with how fast files and folders uploaded and became available on all my devices.
In a fresh development, multiple file uploads, especially to the browser interface seemed quite a bit quicker. I was never subjected to the slowdowns with large data sets that some users apparently reported, so I can’t testify that those have been cured with the fresh engine. This time around, I was even more impressed with the speed.
According to the latest update, sweet. Uploads from the Android and iOS apps also seemed quite a bit quicker, and the Android version now allows you to select multiple photos.
According to the latest update, as long as you’re aware of the dangers of pure two-way sync with no trash, I highly recommend it. A more secure-from-bad-guys service you won’t find. NordLocker is decently affordable, super secure by default, and now much easier to use.
Industry observers note that any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining fresh functions and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service.
The report highlights that he writes reviews on TVs, SSDs, dash cams, remote access programs, Bluetooth speakers, and sundry other consumer-tech devices and programs. Jon Jacobi is a musician, former x86/6800 programmer, and long-time computer enthusiast.