Tag Archives | freeware encryption software

Create an encrypted virtual drive with CloudFogger

/ 1 January, 2012 / Encryption Software / Permalink

 Easily share encrypted files

CloudFogger is all in one encryption solution to encrypt and share your documents, it uses AES256 and public key RSA to secure the data,it can be used to encrypt your cloud storage documents before uploading them. During installation you will get a Windows warning saying that the driver publisher signature could not verified, it is ok to carry on installing the software as long as you downloaded it from the official website. You will need to reboot your computer and CloudFogger will prompt you to create an account for which you will have to facilitate an email address that needs to be verified using a code, the process shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.

After your CloudFogger account has been created you will notice a new letter on your computer hard drive (:X), anything you store there will be automatically encrypted and only accessible while your are logged into your CloudFogger account, it works like the encrypted virtual drives created by Truecrypt, what CloudFogger adds is easy sharing allowing you to add email addresses of people who can access the file, and single file encryption using the extension .cfog.

CloudFogger virtual drive encryption

CloudFogger virtual drive encryption

Any single file you encrypt is automatically stored in the virtual drive, when you double click on a .cfog file it will not decrypt, you will have to right click for that,  everything works integrated with Windows right click mode, there is no interface. CloudFogger claims it doesn’t create temporary files hence being more secure than encrypting using other applications, but if you view a file using an external application (e.g. Windows Media Player) a temporary back up file could be created and there is nothing CloudFogger can do about it.

CloudFogger has some time saving advantages over traditional on-the-fly encryption,right click integration and not needing to enter a password to encrypt the file while you are logged into your account, it can also securely wipe files which is something that normally requires separate software, and it makes it easy to share encrypted files the same way like SpiderOak does, but I did not find this encryption tool very intuitive to use, it think that you will have to read the manual to understand how everything works, it shouldn’t take long thought, and a first steps guide is included. This software does not support any kind of anonymity, everything works through email addresses  (sender&receiver) which are obviously traceable.

Note: Windows version is still in beta, there are plans to make an Android, iOS and Mac version.

Visit CloudFogger homepage

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Chrome browser plugin Crypter encrypts text&files

/ 21 November, 2011 / Encryption Software / Permalink

Chrome browser privacy plugin

Lazar Crypter is a Chrome app encryption plugin that ciphers text and files with the standard AES256 cipher, to encrypt the files or text data does not need to be uploaded to any server, encryption is carried out in the browser using Javascript, this makes man in the middle attacks impossible as well as stopping any remote vulnerabilities on a server relied on for encryption. The size of encrypted files is limited to a few Megabytes due to the plugin saving it as data URI.

Lazar Crypter Chrome browser encryption plugin

Lazar Crypter Chrome browser encryption plugin

To use this encryption plugin simply copy and paste any text inside the box, or upload a file from your computer hard disk selecting it, enter a password and click on “Encrypt”, you can then copy the resulting ciphered text to a webmail message, the receiver will need to have the same Crypter plugin installed or use a web based encrypt and decrypt form implementing the Lazar Crypter and located in the Lazar homepage and click on the “Decrypt” button after entering the password.

This can be a good plugin for those who travel as it could be added to a portable Chrome browser, the only problem is that your friend will need to have it too.

Visit Lazar Crypter Chrome web store

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Encrypt text files using the AES cipher with Scrambled Egg

/ 8 September, 2011 / Encryption Software / Permalink

Text encryption software freeware

This open source cross platform program will encrypt text messages using a wide range of algorithms to choose from, AES, Blowfish, ARC2, CAST, 3DES or RSA using your own public encryption key, text compression with Zlib or Bz2 can be performed before encryption.

Scramble-Egg has a portable version to take it with you in a USB thumbdrive, needing 20MB of space, the software doesn’t need any administrator rights or special plug ins to run, it is an ideal portable encryption tool, the resulting encrypted text can be saved as XML, Json, UU or a .png image, a “No tags” option can be turned on and off depending on if you want the receiving end to know algorithm combination has been used leaving an attacker intercepting the encrypted message wondering what kind of file it is as it doesn’t have any identifying sign giving away what tool has been used for encryption, in order for someone to decrypt the message, besides the password, they will also need to know the cipher combination, if you eliminate tags you will have to inform the receiver about the used combination.

You can copy the ciphered text and send it by email, paste in a document or post it to a Usenet group, encryption is performed in real time slowing down your computer as you type with the CPU load spiking implementing the encryption algorithm, as soon as you add a character or change some setting you will see the resulting ciphered text straight away on the second pane.

Scrambled-Egg text encryption software

Scrambled Egg text encryption software

For covert communications you could easily embed a small encrypted text message in a webpage HTML code and in the event that anyone looked at the source code, which few people do, they would not be able to work out what the message says or what has been used to cipher it, the advantage of embedding an encrypted message on a website as opposed to sending it is that if the website has lots of traffic, it becomes impossible to know who received/read it.

The help file is very basic and it could be improved, Scrambled Egg is easy to use but it appears to assume that people using it already understand what each one of the compression and encryption algorithms mean as the instructions do not explain anything about them, I would recommend you use AES for encryption as it is a standard algorithm widely reviewed by cryptographers and regularly tested for weaknesses. My favourite feature is that Scrambled Egg works in Windows, Linux and Mac, this makes it easy for your friends to use this encryption tool regardless of their operating system.

Visit Scrambled Egg homepage

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Review Axcrypt free file encryption program

/ 21 April, 2011 / Encryption Software / Permalink

File encryption software

AxCrypt is a free open source encryption program for Windows computers available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, after installing AxCrypt it will integrate with your right-click  menu and allow for single click encryption, it is very easy to use, there is nothing to configure, everything works straight out of the box after installation, you can right-click on a folder and instruct AxCrypt to encrypt the entire contents, the program will then create multiple encrypted file belonging to each one of the files inside.

The software interface is multilingual, available in 7 different languages, it can be used from the command line and a portable version of AxCrypt is available for those on the go wanting an encryption programs that runs from inside a USB thumbdrive.

There is no maximum file size for encryption, the only size limit comes imposed by your operating system boundaries on file size, AxCrypt runs on very low resources, to use AxCrypt you only need 5MB RAM, 2MB hard disk space, temporary disk space 1.5 the size of the file being encrypted, and a low end computer desktop CPU.

Because AxCrypt is open source, you can download the source code and compile the program yourself where you to feel inclined, you could check the source code for backdoors before compiling it.

AxCrypt encryption method

AxCrypt uses the AES algorithm with 128-bit keys for file encryption and SHA-1 for hashes, there is no backdoor, if you forget your password that is it. The AES encryption algorithm that AxCrypt uses was selected by NIST (American Nations Institute of Standards and Technology) after a 5 year process in which fifteen competing designs were presented, AES is the current Federal USA Government standard algorithm for encryption.

AxCrypt file encryption

AxCrypt file encryption of MP3 file

Files encrypted with AxCrypt have the extension .axx, it retains the original file name and information, you can rename the file if you want to disguise a descriptive name, temporary files are automatically shred, the encryption keys are not stored in Windows page file. If you don’t want to erase the file after encryption you can just choose encrypt copy from AxCrypt menu.

To make it more difficult for an attacker to brute force your password and make the best of the full 128-bit encryption strength potential that AxCrypt offers, you should be using with a meaningless passphrase sequence of 22 characters, if you decide to create a keyfile with AxCrypt and use it for encryption your files will automatically be secured at the maximum level, the keyfile encryption method can be used in conjunction with a password.

AxCrypt software developers recommend that you always create a keyfile for encryption, the created keyfiles are made of 256 bits encoded in Base64, they are saved as a .txt text file with random characters in it.

AxCrypt file decryption

When sending your encrypted file over email to someone else that person will need AxCrypt installed to decrypt it, there is a free program called AxDecrypt that allows others to view AxCrypt encrypted files without installing the full software,  AxDecrypt only serves to open files with the .axx extension and it can not encrypt.

You can choose to create .exe self-decrypting files, the other end does not need any kind of program to view the encrypted data, they just need to know the password used, one downside is that .exe files many times contain viruses and few people trust them, antivirus could flag them as a malware, and some email services like Gmail do not accept the sending of .exe file attachments.

Like all symmetric encryption software when you send an encrypted file to someone he/she will need to know the password you are using, you can transmit the password over a secure channel, ideally in person and if that it is not possible then using an encrypted VoIP call, or an Internet messaging program with built in encryption.

File encryption vulnerabilities

While AxCrypt contains no backdoor and the algorithm it uses can not be cracked at present, all file encryption programs have side vulnerabilities residing on the operating system, this is what you should watch out for.

  1. Weak password, file encryption programs are only as good as your password

    2. Solution: Use a very hard to guess passphrase not contained in a dictionary or use a keyfile to secure your files, use a password manager if needed to remember it.

  2. Temporary files and backup copies stored by the your operating system while viewing the decrypted file

    3. Solution: Use data wiping software in conjunction with your file encryption software, routinely wipe Windows locations where temporary files are normally stored, like for example the Windows page file, quality data wiping software come already preconfigured to securely erase those locations.

  3. Your computer has a keylogger installed that captures your password

    4. Solution: Have an updated antivirus and use a high quality firewall that will warn you of outgoing connections, the default Windows firewall will not do this.

AxCrypt file decryption

AxCrypt file decryption

After decrypting a file AxCrypt will automatically overwrite it, secure data wiping consists of a single pass using pseudorandom data, this is enough to protect you from common undelete software but it will not protect you from expensive special diagnostics hardware used by well funded adversaries like corporations and law enforcement, if you need that level of protection get a different encryption software because data could be recovered from previously erased data.

AxCrypt online documentation is very complete, if you want to know the inner workings visit their homepage, if you get stuck, they have an online forum and a mailing list where to ask questions to other users.

Conclusion on AxCrypt file encryption

It doesn’t have the prettiest of interfaces and its configuration capabilities are next to none, while some might view this as a disadvantage, others will see it as an advantage because it makes operation very easy to understand for beginners.

AxCrypt strong points are that it is open source, it contains no backdoor, it uses a standard uncrackable algorithm for encryption (AES128) and it is easy to operate, its interface could be improved but it gets the job done, this is an excellent program for those on a budget because it is free (donationware) and it will securely encrypt your files.

I would not hesitate recommending AxCrypt to friends in need of secure encryption software but the single pass temporary data overwriting was disappointing, if you are a business user stay out of AxCrypt because it is only secure enough for the home user due to this.

Visit AxCrypt homepage

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Very easy to use encryption software Conceal

/ 13 February, 2011 / Encryption Software / Permalink

This free encryption software named Conceal it is very easy to use, to encrypt a file all you have to do is to drag and drop it inside the Window that has a padlock on it, you will then be prompted to enter a password. After that you select the encryption algorithm you wan to use, Fast Encrypt, RC2, AES or TripleDES, the less secure encryption algorithms are quicker but the time difference can possibly be measured in seconds, I would recommend you choose the uncrackable AES encryption cipher.

Encryption software Conceal

Encryption software Conceal

When you want to decrypt  your data, stored using the .xcon file extension, just select the file with the mouse and drag and drop it inside Conceal window that has a key drawn on it, enter the password and you are done. If you want to introduce encryption to someone who doesn’t know anything about computers, Conceal is the ideal program to do that, there are only two Windows to choose from, one to encrypt and the other to decrypt data, they both are descriptive enough looking at the picture they have, no long manuals to read and no need to learn about the inner workings of encryption, Conceal is one of the easiest encryption programs to be found and if you use it with the AES algorithm, the data will be safe.

In case you find it too hard to remember your passwords Conceal will offer you to save them to your hard disk, encrypted, when you want to decrypt the file, point the software to your password file and it will be automatically entered.

Visit Conceal homepage

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Review free encryption software Safetica Personal Edition

/ 19 September, 2010 / Encryption Software / Permalink

Encryption Safetica Personal Edition overview

Safetica Personal Edition is totally free for the home user and it is the best free encryption security suite I have come accross for a long time, with Safetica Personal Edition you get secure encryption implemented with AES256 a well known uncrackable algorithm, a password manager, a data shredder, asymmetric and symmetric encryption, security profiles, security schedules, an archive manager to compress files and much much more, I was really impressed with the amount of security tools that come integrated with this free computer security suite, this is an all around solution that does a perfect job at securing your data.

Safetica also has paid for versions of its software for commercial enterprises that allow for the use of parental control, staff monitoring and other business utilities that will be of little use for the home user. Safetica Personal Edition has all a home user needs to achieve a good level of computer privacy, I found it suitable for PC novices as well as crytpogeeks and advanced users.

Although basic, Safetica Personal Edition also includes an archive manager for .zip and other compressed files, you do not need to install any other special application to manage them.

Safetica claims their free encryption program has no backdoor, you can sleep safe and sound knowing that nobody will be able to access your encrypted personal data unless you give them the password.

Safetica will award $200.000 to anyone breaking their encryption

Many companies claim their product is unbreakable but very few of them put their money where their mouth is, Cosect, the makers of Safetica, are running a competition for one year, expiring in mid 2011, if you manage to break one of their encrypted files they will reward you with $200.000, full details on their website.

Safetica RSA encryption key creation

Safetica RSA encryption key creation

Creating and encrypted virtual drive, NTFS or FAT32 filesystem?

When you create an encrypted virtual drive in Safetica you are given the choice of formatting it with NTFS or FAT32, the choice of a file system matters if you intend to use advanced file properties that are available in Windows 2000 and later.

The FAT32 file system usage is limited by the length of  filenames and when copying files, it has a maximum file size of 4GB in size, you will not be able to copy a file bigger than 4GB to a FAT32 formatted disk. Most USB thumbdrives normally come formatted with FAT32 in order to interact with the maximum number of operating systems.

Unless you are using an old version of Windows that needs FAT32, you will be better off formatting the virtual  encrypted drive, and any hard drive, with the NTFS file system which has a theoretical maxium file size of 16 Terabytes.

Safetica encryption wizard profile

Safetica encryption wizard profile

Encryption Safetica Personal Edition good stuff

Very nice clean layout with easy navigation through tabs, possibility to encrypt single files allowing for lots of advanced choices in the process, from encryption with public key to creating a self extracting .exe encrypted files and data shredding scheduling.

Easy set up Wizard with Basic, Safe and Paranoid security profiles, the Safe profile is the one I used, it uses the AES cipher, it will not cache the passphrase and sets up the data wiping utility to overwrite all files seven times.  The Paranoid security profile uses the Serpent cipher for encryption and data shredding is set at 35 passes, regular password changes are also enforced.

You can create a security key to recover your encrypted data, this process will take some minutes to create an RSA Private key (with extension .privkey), you can set up this masterkey to have an expiration date from 1 year to 10 years.

If you attempt to copy text from a password field to the clipboard Safetica will stop you from doing so and you will get a warning, this is a good security measure that stops lazy users from copying and pasting their encryption passphrase around Windows.

The encrypted virtual drives (they use a .dco extension) can be accessed via password or with an encryption key, your choice. Safetica encryption software manual is very complete with easy to understand explanations and screenshots, there are daily security tips that come up when you start the software.

Safetica Personal Edition comes with an integrated password manager using AES-Rijndael256 for encryption and a decent file shredder that can be scheduled. The data wiper can also delete temporary files, browser history and recent documents history.

The password manager can work with public encryption keys, it includes a password strength analyzer, it has highly customizable features as well as a very advanced password generator.

Safetica encryption suite supports the Czech, English,French,German,Spanish,Polish,Portuguese andRussian languages and their interface can easily by switched to one of them. Safetica Personal Edition also supports encryption of RAID disks, physical external hard disks and encryption of USB thumbdrives, from where you can run applications like a portable internet browser to avoid leaving internet surfing tracks in your operating system.

Safetica encrypted virtual disk

Safetica encrypted virtual disk

Encryption Safetica Personal Edition bad stuff

Their bigger downfall has to be that there is no full disk encryption available, Safetica will create virtual encrypted drivers but the operating system itself remains unencrypted and a computer forensics expert will still be able to retrieve some personal data from your operating system, although not much, the developers claim to be looking into this for next releases.

The file shredder to erase temporary files can be scheduled to run at logon but the most obvious option, which would be to run it after logging off is not available, it makes much more sense to me to destroy all of your temporary files when you have just finished working with your computer than not the day after when you login.

Creation of encrypted disks using the Safe profile will choose AES256 cipher for encryption and SHA256 for password hashing by default, Safetica user manual names the Blowfish448, Mars448,Twofish256 and CAST6 cipher algorithms too but this is hard to find, it took me a while to find out how to change the default encryption algorithm.

Their encryption software only works in Windows and you get the occasional nagging screen when you start Safetica Personal Edition inviting you to upgrade to the business edition or make a donation to the encryption software developers.

Encryption Safetica Personal Edition conclusion

This computer security suite is ideal to encrypt all of your internet pornography, banking details and family photos, it is a great free all-round computer security suite to stop identity theft and noisy people looking at what confidential data you have stored in your hard disk. Safetica encryption is safe and sound, highly customizable, you get a password manager and file shredder integrated, this free computer software should fulfil most of your security and privacy needs.

Visit Safetica to download this free encryption suite

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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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