LONDON, July 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NordLocker, the encrypted cloud storage service behind the creators of Nord Security, has announced the most significant architectural upgrade in its history. Codenamed “Project Renaissance,” the upgrade completely reimagines how encrypted data is structured, moving from a traditional locker-based file tree to a modern “journaling” approach.
A new core engine and surrounding services were developed entirely from scratch, now powering every NordLocker application, including Web Access, the Windows app, and the iOS and Android apps. Each app was reworked to fully employ the capabilities of the new engine, passing the performance gains directly to users while removing the structural limitations that came with the old locker-based model.
Historically, updating a single encrypted file required reloading the metadata of an entire locker, causing operations to slow down as data volumes grew. With “Project Renaissance,” every file structure change is treated as a small, individually encrypted event appended to a log, so writes stay fast and lightweight no matter how large a locker becomes.
“Project Renaissance is a major technological leap for NordLocker, from the new core engine and reworked surrounding services to a new generation of apps,” says Aivaras Vencevičius, head of product at NordLocker. “The biggest gains are in performance, speed, file management, and sharing. By removing the old locker-based limitations, we made NordLocker significantly faster, more flexible, and much better equipped for future development.”
Inside the new journaling engine
At the heart of “Project Renaissance” is a change in how encrypted data is stored. The old model treated a locker as a single, monolithic encrypted block, so every time a user added or changed a file, that entire block had to be reloaded and re-encrypted. That is why operations grew slower as libraries got bigger.
The new engine replaces that block with an append-only, encrypted journal of atomic events. Every change is a small, individually encrypted entry, so writes stay fast no matter how large a locker becomes, and only what actually changed needs to sync. Files are still encrypted on the user’s device before reaching NordLocker’s infrastructure, keeping the zero-knowledge standard fully intact.
The journaling model draws on the durability of battle-tested filesystems and databases, but makes the journal the permanent source of truth rather than a temporary recovery log. Each entry is cryptographically chained to the one before it, so a locker’s history cannot be silently altered or tampered with.
Speed that scales with your files
The performance difference is most noticeable exactly where the old system struggled most: large libraries. Upload and download speeds are now more than 10x faster, processing complex operations got more than 100x faster – particularly when working with many files at once.
Because the engine no longer reloads an entire structure for every change, file operations stay fast and stable even as a user’s storage grows into the tens or hundreds of thousands of files. Actions that once slowed to a crawl on large accounts now feel immediate, and the platform can comfortably handle far more files in a single operation than before.
Organize your files, your way
The rebuild also removes one of the platform’s oldest constraints. Users are no longer required to create lockers, the mandatory first-level folders, before they can upload anything. Files can now be dropped straight into the root and moved freely across any level.
It is a small change on the surface, but it fundamentally changes the experience. Instead of bending their filing habits to fit the product, users get complete control over how they structure their encrypted storage, with no rigid hierarchy to work around and no wasted steps before they can start protecting files.
Sharing built for collaboration
The upgrade also introduces far more flexible sharing. Files and folders can be shared at any level, either by email to other NordLocker users or by a secure link, moving well beyond the restrictive locker-level sharing of the past.
Collaborators can be granted Editor or Viewer roles depending on the level of access they need, giving owners precise control over who can change what. Link sharing has also been upgraded: users can toggle a security code on or off and set a custom expiration date, so shared data stays under control long after the link is sent. Under the hood, each sharing circle is handled independently, so sharing one folder never exposes anything outside of it.
A redesigned mobile experience
The iOS and Android apps received a major interface upgrade as part of the release, including Dark Mode, an improved transfers list for better visibility of active tasks, and re-worked overall UI. Most importantly, new apps are fully built on the new engine transferring the performance gains to the user. Together, the updates bring the mobile experience in line with the speed and flexibility of the desktop and web apps, making it easier to manage and secure files on the go.
A foundation built for the future
Beyond the immediate improvements, the new architecture gives NordLocker room to grow. The journaling core provides a strong base for highly requested features already in development, such as a cloud trash bin and photo sync, all within the same fully end-to-end encrypted, zero-knowledge environment users rely on.
The rebuild also prepares NordLocker for the post-quantum era. By isolating the most quantum-sensitive cryptography into a single dedicated layer, the team has kept the core ready to adopt post-quantum algorithms without another architectural overhaul. That activation is deliberate rather than immediate: for a product built to keep data safe and readable for decades, the foundation is ready now, and the switch will be flipped once the standards have properly matured.
Availability
The NordLocker upgrade is now rolling out across all NordLocker platforms. Current users will receive these updates automatically. For more information, please visit: https://nordlocker.com/.
ABOUT NORDLOCKER
NordLocker is the world’s first end-to-end file encryption tool with a private cloud. It was created by the cybersecurity experts behind NordVPN, one of the most advanced VPN service providers in the world. NordLocker is available on Web Access, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, supports all file types, offers a fast and intuitive interface, and guarantees secure sync between devices. With NordLocker, files are protected from hacking, surveillance, and data collection. For more information, visit nordlocker.com.
More information: anzelika@nordsec.com
