The Only Guide for Best Hard Disk Encryption Software

Insert a logo and it takes even longer"p4ssworD!" Would take about 275 days. An even stronger password could be a sentence that's a combination of letters, numbers, symbols and capitalization. Something easy to remember but difficult to guess, such as"mYd0g!sMyp4ssw0rD," would require a PC about 3 quintillion years to figure out.Encryption Software: Things We Tested, What We FoundMost of this encryption software for Windows we tested lets you combine your encrypted documents in one protected location, while it is a locker, library or vault.

The document encryption software you choose should get the job done quickly, be easy to use and keep your information safe.PerformanceWe tested all the encryption methods thoroughly using 63 files that totaled 128MB to determine which application was the greatest overall. People who converted the documents quickly received more credit in the final scores than others.

Although encrypting such a little batch of files only took seconds in most cases, some apps took minutes to finish the task. When you're locking up only a couple megabytes' worth of information, it is not a huge deal, however if you are encrypting gigabytes of data, you might be looking at hours of waiting.We also clocked the speed of decryption and found that many apps can give you access to your files fairly quickly.

The apps we include in our lineup are overall simple and intuitive, especially Folder Lock and Secure IT. They guide you through procedures step by step. Safe IT gives you access to encryption by integrating with the Windows operating platform, so all you have to do is right-click on a document and choose to encrypt it in the menu.In virtually every evaluation, we discovered that these file encryption applications compress files as they encrypt them.

Some Known Questions About Encryption Programs For Windows.

Those that compressed files the most received more charge in scoring.SecurityEncryption software uses different types of ciphers to scramble your data, and each has its own benefits. Advanced Encryption Standard, or 256-bit key AES, is a form of the Rijndael cipher and can be used by the U.S. government, including the National Security Agency, so it's considered one of the strongest encryption ciphers available.

Although any one of these ciphers could be broken given enough time and computing power, they're considered almost unbreakable. AES has long been recognized as the exceptional algorithm, so we gave more credit to the apps that employ AES.Many data applications include an option to shred your documents when you're ready to infect info.

To"shred" files, an app overwrites the data with random pieces of data. Data retrieval is a lengthy process, so unless you are in the business of trade secrets or espionage, your hard drives are probably safe from info recovery.Your documents and information will be only as safe and secure as your password.

The longer and more random your password is, the harder it is to break. A password strength meter included in this software is helpful. Many applications need a master password to use the software, and then another password for each vault or collection of documents. Password generators are also useful when you don't want to have to think of strong passwords yourself.We sent encrypted documents via email and supplied a password to the tester to unlock the files.

Computer Encryption Programs for Beginners

You are using your mouse, which prevents potential keyloggers from recording your password as you type it. Your Windows operating system already includes a virtual keyboard, so you already have access to this security feature, but programs like Folder Lock and Advanced Encryption Package Pro make it easy to access. Stealth mode provides even more solitude anyone else who logs on to a personal computer or hacks in won't even notice that you utilized encryption software.After encrypting files, some software allowed us to back up the secure data and connect with upload to a server, like google Drive or Dropbox, that can be called redundant safety.

In fact, you can upload any of your encrypted files into a cloud space and your Website files remain safe.Top Ten Reviews seeks, whenever possible, to evaluate all products and services in hands-on tests that simulate as closely as possible the experiences of a normal consumer. We obtained the software in our comparison on loan by the companies and via retail purchase.

Outcomes of our evaluations were not given to the companies in advance of publication.What Else Is Important in Choosing Encryption SoftwareWhile safety is the utmost factor in picking the right encryption software for you, it's always important that you opt for a program which works for your system. Also, if you run into issues with your applications, you may need to contact customer service or have access to online manuals and tutorials.Version CompatibilityIf you are running an older version of Windows, like Vista or XP, then you certainly want to be certain that the program still supports your operating system.