Tag Archives | easy to use encryption software

Password protect folders with Secure Folder

/ 8 January, 2011 / Encryption Software / Permalink

Free security software to password protect folder

This free open source computer security software does much more than password protecting your folders, it can also lock them, encrypt the data inside and hide the folders from view. I tried to find a folder I had previously hidden using Secure Folder and Windows search did not manage to locate the folder and its contents, looking at where I knew the folder physically was also failed to reveal its existence, only using Secure Folder and entering the password allowed me to view the contents once again.

This free software of only 750Kb in size will help you hide your confidential data in shared computers, but if you install it, its presence in the computer could arise suspicions and anyone with access to the computer can use the software, although they would still need the password to view the hidden folder, it is probably better if you use the portable version of Secure Folder. Secure Folder includes a screenshot utility, not sure what for, and a privacy sweeper that will erase the Windows prefetch files, the clipboard, the recycle bin and recently opened folders. There is also a file shredder where you can drag and drop the files you want to securely wipe choosing how many times the file needs to be overwritten with random data.

Secure Folder hide Windows folder

Secure Folder hide Windows folder

If you forget your password Secure Folder FAQ states that you can email your settings.xml file to the author in order to recover your data, to make sure your data can not be recovered by anyone make sure to encrypt your data! Secure Folder uses the AES256-bit algorithm for encryption , the password is hashed using SHA 512bit but stored in plain text(on its hashed form) in settings.xml. Unless you specifically choose to encrypt the data, simply password protecting a folder will keep its contents in the clear, useful to fool a low level adversary but useless protection against the big boys.

Update August 2011: The download file appears to have been removed (dead project?),  I am removing the link.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/securefolder/

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Rohos Mini Drive free USB thumbdrive encryption without admin rights

/ 5 January, 2011 / Encryption Software / Permalink

USB thumbdrive freeware encryption software

You could use Truecrypt traveller mode to encrypt your data on a USB stick but in order to use Truecrypt on a computer you will need administration rights and this is not possible in public computers like Internet cafe and libraries. Rohos Mini Drive USB encryptrion doesn’t require administrative privileges to open your password protected USB thumbdrive partition on a guest PC.

Rohos Mini Drive uses on the fly encryption making sure no data is left unencrypted on the guest PC after you have finished viewing it, there is a secure virtual keyboard included to stop key-loggers capturing your password and data is encrypted using AES256 a well known secure algorithm approved by the US Department of Defense to encrypt secret information.

There is a feature called ‘Hide and Encrypt Folder’ that allows to encrypt profile folders of applications like Skype, Google Chrome and Firefox as well as regular PC folders. This feature locks applications data with a password and ciphers the content strong encryption, when your encrypted USB drive is not plugged in to PC the applications will be unable to start.

Rohos Mini Drive encrypted USB thumbdrive

Rohos Mini Drive encrypted USB thumbdrive

This encryption software needs less than 1MB for stand alone installation and creates an encrypted .rdi file where to store your data, it includes Rohos Disk Browser to view and manage your encrypted files, this is very useful as it will help you to avoid using the guest computer Windows explorer and stop you from leaving temporary files behind.

The free version of Roho Mini Drive has a 2GB encrypted partition size limitation, you will need administration rights to preinstall Rohos Mini Drive on the USB flash drive first and after that this secure encrypted USB thumbdrive can be used anywhere without any admin privileges.

The company behind Rohos Mini Drive claims that there is no backdoor whatsoever, if you lose your password, that is it, that also means that nobody can force the company to decrypt data held in your USB thumb drive because they have no way of doing it.

Visit Rohos Mini Drive homepage

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Kryptos: Voice encryption mobile phone applet

/ 24 December, 2010 / Mobile Phone / Permalink

Applet to encrypt mobile phone calls

Kryptos is a premium iPhone applet to encrypt your phone calls, the company behind it is planing on launching Kryptos for Android in January 2011 and Kryptos for RIM (Blackberry) in February 2011. This encryption mobile phone applet is very easy to manage and it will provide you with sound secure voice communications for a very reasonable price, Kryptos will work over any network, including 3G, 4G and Wifi.

After the user has downloaded the Kryptos iPhone applet from iTunes on their iPhone he needs to activate the account with Kryptos. Each user receives an individual ID, calls using the Kryptos applet will be secured using peer-to-peer encryption, the initial symmetric encryption keys exchange is made using 1024-RSA and after that calls are routed with AES256 encryption.

Kryptos mobile phone call encryption

Kryptos mobile phone call encryption

There are no backdoors in this encryption applet, your encrypted conversation cannot be decrypted by anyone other than the two parties participating on the Kryptos call session and the company does not keep any logs of the calls made, your phone applet will keep a record of  call logs locally but they can be easily erased.

Visit Kryptos Communications homepage

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Free easy to use encryption software R-Crypto

/ 1 September, 2010 / Encryption Software / Permalink

R-Crypto Data Security and disk encryption software will help you hide all of your internet pornography, financial details and other sensitive data from prying eyes. This free encryption software will create an encrypted virtual disk only visible after you enter the appropiate password, inside that encrypted disk you will be able to store anything you like and after closing it,  the encrypted data will remain unaccessible for anyone without the right password.

R-Crypto encrypts data using the cryptographic infrastructure of the Microsoft operating system, this can include Microsoft AES crypto provider with key lengths of 128, 192 and 256 bits, for the password it will use the well known uncrackable Secure Hash Algorithm SHA-512. It can also use the Data Encryption Standard DES, or 3DES but it is highly reccomended to stick to AES as DES is not a safe encryption algorithm anymore.

R-Crypto constitutes a robust and safe encryption program with no backdoors, best of all R-Crypto is completely free of charge. If you want to hide your internet pornography from your wife and others, R-Crypto will be very useful and it is easy to use for beginners.

With R-Crypto you will have access to your encrypted disk control with an easy to use wizard that will guide you through the creation of the encrypted disk and it will also allow to change the size of the encrypted disk easily and it has many more features like being able to wipe the encrypted hard disk to make sure this is irrecoverable.

R-Crypto Data Security screenshot

R-Crypto Data Security screenshot

Because R-Crypto uses Microsoft cryptographic infrastructure, it is ideal for companies that require certification for such products to meet certain governmental or corporate standards, as well as individual users with high security and privacy needs.

Visit R-Crypto free data encryption software

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Review: Free encryption software SafeHouse Explorer

/ 20 August, 2010 / Encryption Software / Permalink

Free easy to use encryption software

SafeHouse Explorer is an unbreakable free encryption software that keeps your confidential files inside a giant data vault which can only be accessed after entering your secret password, it will hide your files and make them impossible to view and copy without the right password. After you enter your secret password, you access your files using SafeHouse Explorer’s drag-and-drop Explorer-like interface.

Secure TwoFish 256bits encryption

SafeHouse explorer encryption uses Twofish 256bits for encryption, it can create encrypted vaults as large as 2Terabytes and works in Windows 7. Your files and folders are fully accessible using a new disk drive letter added to Windows to represent your data vault, any files you drag and drop to this new drive letter will be instantly and automatically protected.

Encryption password hash function diagram

Encryption password hash function diagram

The Sheriff’s Office fails to break SafeHouse encryption

This free encryption software to conceal your confidential data, like utility bills, bank statements and internet porn is unaccessible even for the FBI, SafeHouse Explorer encryption has no backdoor whatsoever as The King County Sheriff’s Office found out to much of their dismay during a criminal investigation, when they realised they couldn’t open a large section of data that was encrypted using Safehouse.

Reference in the Seattle P-I: Expert will try to crack encrypted files

SafeHouse Explorer encryption conclusion

SafeHouse Explorer is totally suitable for beginners, you will be hard pushed to find another encryption software so user friendly, at the same time you can have peace of mind that the free edition of SafeHouse encryption is unbreakable, the paid for SafeHouse products have some nice extra features but if you are hard pressed for cash do not need to worry, the free edition works just fine.

Visit SafeHouse Explorer free encryption

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