computer science

NordLocker

NordLocker is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand NordLocker rather than just read about it. In short: NordLocker is a file encryption software integrated with end-to-end encrypted cloud storage. It is available on Windows and macOS.

Key takeaways

NordLocker belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NordLocker to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NordLocker from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NordLocker is a file encryption software integrated with end-to-end encrypted cloud storage. It is available on Windows and macOS. NordLocker is developed by Nord Security (formerly Nordsec Ltd), the Lithuania-based company behind the NordVPN virtual private network. NordLocker uses a freemium business model, where users are offered a free account with unlimited local file encryption and a set amount of cloud storage with sync and backup features. More cloud storage is available via a paid subscription.

History In May 2019, NordVPN announced the upcoming launch of NordLocker, "an app with a zero-knowledge encryption process". Although the initial estimated time of arrival was summer 2019, the actual launch took place in November. The app was launched as a local file encryption tool with secure sharing. Users were able to encrypt up to 5 GB of data for free or pay for unlimited encryption. In March 2020, NordLocker announced newly implemented cloud sharing integrations with Dropbox and Google Drive. In August 2020, NordLocker launched a cloud storage add-on, a feature allowing users to back up their data and synchronize it across multiple devices.

Features NordLocker is an encryption software with cloud integration. The software uses so called "lockers" - encrypted folders to encrypt and store user files. Users can create an unlimited number of lockers, drop files in to encrypt them, and transfer lockers separately. The app uses client-side encryption to secure files on the user's device first. It's a zero-knowledge encryption system, where the developers have no data about users' files. After the encryption process, the user can decide whether to store data locally or sync it via NordLocker’s cloud. NordLocker syncs files via a private cloud, so they can be accessed from any computer with the NordLocker app installed. The program uses AES-256 and 4096-bit RSA encryption algorithms as well as Argon2 and ECC (with XChaCha20, EdDSA, and Poly1305). NordLocker uses Libsodium to generate a random 256-bit key and encrypt lockers. To encrypt that key, the app then uses XChaCha20-Poly1305 and the user’s master password. The local encryption is free as of December 2020 — the service monetizes cloud storage space beyond the 3 GB provided with the free plan.

Hacking contest In April 2020, NordLocker launched the "NordLocker Bounty campaign", a hacking competition with the top prize of $10,000. To win, a person had to download an encrypted "locker" from the company's site, hack into it, and find the hidden message. Based on the NordLocker’s campaign page, there were over 600 attempts to break the locker but no one has claimed the bounty as of December 2020.

Reception A June 2020 PCMagazine review noted that NordLocker was easy to use but lacked features like secure file deletion and two-factor authentication. In August 2020, ITPro called NordLocker’s cloud add-on a “critical feature for modern business, especially with the coronavirus outbreak forcing many companies’ workforces to remain remote.” Restore Privacy praised NordLocker for strong end-to-end encryption and the "new, lower price" but mentioned the fact that NordLocker is not open-source. Boxcryptor, another encryption service, has compared NordLocker’s security to their own but noted that NordLocker does not have a mobile application.

See also Encryption Internet privacy Secure communication

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NordLocker

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NordLocker claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NordLocker before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NordLocker ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NordLocker

In research: NordLocker appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses NordLocker in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: NordLocker is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cloud storage, Cryptographic software, Internet properties established in 2019, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NordLocker outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study NordLocker in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NordLocker means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain NordLocker out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NordLocker in simple terms?

NordLocker is a file encryption software integrated with end-to-end encrypted cloud storage. It is available on Windows and macOS.

Why does NordLocker matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NordLocker?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NordLocker.