Best Free Software
Veracrypt 1.21
www.veracrypt.fr/en What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1 or 10
Lock down your files from hackers and snoopers using this powerful encryption tool. As you probably know, encryption is the process of scrambling data so it can’t be read by anyone (or anything). To unscramble it, you need special software (usually the same software that did the scrambling) and a password. Some free encryption tools are tougher than others – and Veracrypt aims to be the toughest of them all.
It does this by letting you create encrypted folders (‘volumes’) for your sensitive data, using the most secure encryption algorithms available – including AES, Twofish, Serpent and Camelia – and then adding extra security measures on top. These measures include hash algorithms such as SHA-512 and SHA-256, and the creation of a cryptographic key by moving your mouse randomly. The technology may sound baffling (because it is), but the program is easy to use, and it’s all explained step by step in the new online guide (click Help then User’s Guide).
Veracrypt 1.21, which is optimised for 64bit systems, adds a Secure Desktop option that opens the program window in a secure environment, a bit like User Account Control in Windows. This keeps your password and other Veracrypt activity separate from your desktop – and out of sight of keyloggers and spyware. It also now supports ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomisation), which moves executable files to locations where hackers are less likely to find them.
To get it, click Downloads then ‘Veracrypt Setup 1.21.exe’. Click ‘Extract’ in the installer to get a portable version for Windows Vista or earlier. Otherwise stick with the default ‘Install’. There’s no junk to avoid.
1 Click Create Volume to launch the Volume Creation Wizard, where you can choose to create an encrypted folder (standard or hidden) or encrypt your entire system. 2 Once you’ve created your volume, you can choose a virtual drive to ‘mount’ it in. Your volume will then appear in the list along with its size and encryption details. 3 To add files to your volume, right-click it, click Open, and then drag files into it. For more options, such as changing the encryption level, click Volume Tools. 4 To enable the new Secure Desktop to hide your password from hackers, click Settings, Preferences and then tick ‘Use Secure Desktop for password entry’.