NordVPN Launches Encryption Tool for Cloud-Stored Files

NordVPN, a highly rated VPN provider known for its privacy features, today launched the NordLocker file encryption tool.

The company's goal with NordLocker was to create a security utility that uses strong and modern encryption while remaining easy and pleasant to use by anyone, regardless of their tech skills.The tool encrypts the user’s files locally, so NordVPN itself can’t view what’s inside them, even as they are stored on the company’s servers.

NordLocker’s encryption algorithms include Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256) and 4096-bit RSA. The company also claimed to use a “zero-knowledge encryption process” so that there is no revealing or privacy-breaching metadata about the files being encrypted. Users will also be able to share their encrypted files with others while securely managing the access permissions.

Protecting Our Files in the Digital Age

NordVPN seems to believe that the more digital our lives become, the more interested we'll be in better protecting that data. It’s not just photos of ourselves or what we eat that we upload online these days -- it could also be credit card numbers, medical files, sensitive work documents, IDs, and so on.

If we truly care about protecting those files, we’ll also have to try to be more diligent with how we upload our data and who gets to access it. It’s not just about trusting cloud service companies not to sell our data to the highest bidder anymore, but also about trusting them to keep that data secure against hackers. Even the richest or most technologically advanced companies sometimes fail at this.

Encrypting files with our own local tools and encryption keys before they ever touch someone else’s server may be the best way to ensure the files remain both private and secure. Tools such as NordLocker or its competitors Cryptomator, Boxcryptor, Tresorit, Spideroak and others may not serve a huge market yet, but they may pave the way for the future.

Those who are interested in trying out NordLocker can sign up for an early access invitation today. The public beta will be available later this summer.