Nsure:express review

Online backup provides protection against both computer malfunction and physical damage to backup equipment in the local environment. Nsure:express is an online backup application that provides 2GB of remote storage space for your important files.

The most striking aspect of nsure:express is its simplicity. There is little to distinguish the application window from a typical folder view. You can drag and drop files and folders directly from your desktop and right-click on a file to delete, rename or download it to your local computer. There is no option to view image files as thumbnails, however, which would have made it much easier to identify files. Unlike other online backup services, nsure:express is an application, which means you can't use it as a handy repository into which you can dip from any computer with an internet connection.

Data is encrypted with a user-defined key before it's sent to the nsure:express server. However, access to your space is controlled by a separate username and password, which automatically logs you on when you start the application. So if someone steals your computer, they could still delete your backups, even if they can't read them, since you don't need to enter the user-defined key to delete them. We are surprised that this is possible.

Automated backup is a common feature of online and offline backup applications, but is conspicuously absent here. While setting up an automated system can be a pain, the lack of one changes backup from a passive task to one you must remember to do. This is a regressive step in computing.

The simplicity of nsure:express is admirable, and £2/month is reasonable for 2GB of online storage space. But given the lack of automated backup, and the inability to access your files from multiple locations, nsure:express needs improvement before we can recommend it.

Author: David McKinnon