Tag Archives: encryption

[Giveaway] MacKeeper Is An All-In-One System Maintenance & Security Tool For OS X

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We’ve covered a lot of small tools that help you clean up your Mac, make it run smoother, securely delete files, recover deleted file, or search for them. Though OS X does most - if not all - of these things natively, it doesn't offer as many customization options, or work as well as several third-party offerings. You can always look for apps that are meant to solve individual problems, or you could invest in an app that does everything for the right price. MacKeeper is a very famous app that acts as an antivirus and anti-theft app for your Mac. It also lets you encrypt data, recover deleted files, securely shred files, create backups, remove junk files, find duplicates, estimate the disk usage and break it down for you, uninstall apps and the many files they can sometimes leave behind, help you optimize start-up apps, and edit the default apps for different file extensions. Read More

Seafile Is A Private Cloud Storage & Collaboration Solution For Teams

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Seafile is a cloud service that allows you to create and share a private cloud library of files with friends or colleagues. Files get synced for all users, so that if one person edits a document or makes any changes to it (if they’re allowed to), Seafile automatically updates the changes for everyone in the group. I know this sounds trite, but sharing files via the cloud is an amazingly convenient thing. Still, sometimes you don’t want or need to bring the internet into the picture just to share files between colleagues and friends who are on the same local network. To accommodate this, Seafile also allows you to create your own personal cloud for sharing files between computers in the same organization using its open-source server that's available for Linux and Raspberry Pi. It’s safe, because you use your own servers, and reliable because Seafile saves everything and you can even restore stuff you've accidentally deleted. It’s also secure because the files can be encrypted with a password. And finally, it’s mega-convenient, because all users on the network using Seafile get to sync their work with each other simultaneously. Read More

CryptoPAD Offers A File Encryptor, Text Editor & Cipher In One Package

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A substantial number of people use Notepad or other similar text editors for quickly taking notes in Windows. It all sounds okay to rely on these as far as it’s about saving notes that are not sensitive in nature, but when it comes to storing something a little more confidential and private, plain text editors don’t quite cut it for the job. CryptoPAD is a Windows application that allows you to take and save notes protected with advanced encryption algorithms. Along with a feature-rich text editor, it houses a file encryption tool, a checksum calculator, and a unique Vingenere Cipher, all in a single package. Read More

Save Notes & Login Credentials In An Encrypted Vault With Datum Locker

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In this digital age, safeguarding your sensitive information isn't something to be neglected, as any breaches can lead to leaking of your account details such as login information for web services, credit card information, bank account details, and so on. If you have documents or other information that you want to securely lock away from prying eyes, Datum Locker may have an answer for you. It’s a free Windows app designed for keeping a record of notes and login details in its integrated folders database called datum. The application is backed by Linearistic Distance Cryptographic (LDC) algorithm engineered by Nulluox – the developer behind Datum Locker – and aids in securely storing your data with a single lock key. This robust method can protect all your details with one password only. Read More

Create Encrypted, UAC-Independent Desktop Shortcuts With EnSC

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Just a few days ago, I covered a handy Windows application called ElevatedShortcut that is designed to get rid of UAC prompts for trusted apps while keeping them enabled for all other apps. UAC or User Account Control is a security measure integrated into Windows that keeps untrusted apps from running on your computer without your express permission. Today, we've yet another similar app at your disposal called EnSC. You might be wondering what EnSC offers over ElevatedShortcut that makes it worth recommending. The tool's flagship feature is its ability to also encrypt the shortcut created for running the app with elevated privileges, meaning even if elevation is granted by a user, the selected shortcut still remains safe from prying eyes. Moreover, the tool allows to create such shortcuts from network drives as well. Read More

Sync Files To An Encrypted Local Or Network Folder With CryptSync

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SkyDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, SugarSync and Box.net are just a few of the most popular names from the ever-growing cloud storage industry. Not only are these companies dominating the industry, but they also provide secure, best-in-class services that most of us seek when choosing cloud storage. If you’re an avid cloud drive user and want to encrypt your files before moving them to the cloud, or simply want to encrypt them for any other purpose to keep them safe from any prying eyes, give CryptSync a go. It’s an open-source application that lets you synchronize a pair of directories, and also encrypt your files in the process. The tool supports both local and network directories, and can particularly come in handy to encrypt files before moving them to the cloud. Read More

Bitcasa Sheds Beta Tag; Comes To iOS With Automatic Camera Uploads

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Despite being in beta for the past few months, Bitcasa has already gained considerable popularity. Infinite cloud storage might be nothing more than an illusion, but this service comes closest to making it a reality. Bitcasa gives its users 10GB of free cloud storage, with two ways of expanding this limit. You can subscribe to an unlimited package for $10/month, or get 1GB of free space for each new user you bring to Bitcasa. Apps for the service have already been around for Windows and Android, and now its iOS app has made its way to the App Store as well. The app lets you access your Bitcasa content and view a variety of file types on your iPhone. There is also an automatic upload feature similar to the one offered by Dropbox and Google+ on Android, which allows you to connect your camera roll with Bitcasa so that your photos and videos are always kept backed up on the cloud. As before, all data you upload to the cloud service is kept secure using encryption. Read More

Cryptonite Offers EncFS & TrueCrypt-Based Local & Cloud Data Encryption On Android

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While there are countless data encryption and decryption tools available across most popular computer platforms, choices are rather limited for mobile users, and Android is no exception in this regard. Though with Cryptonite, you don't really need much more, as it offers industry-standard encryption of not just your mobile device’s local data, but also the data on your Dropbox storage. Cryptonite is a free and open-source Android file encryption & decryption tool based on EncFS and TrueCrypt that can be used to browse, export and open EncFS-encrypted files and folders stored on your mobile device as well as Dropbox storage. Unlike most other similar tools, Cryptonite works fine on both rooted and non-rooted devices. That’s not all – if you own a rooted Android device that supports FUSE Kernel (as found in certain CyanogenMod ROMs), you can also use Cryptonite to mount TrueCrypt and EncFS volumes on your device. Read More

Create & Edit Password-Protected Text Files With NoteBook For Windows

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Notepad is probably the most simple yet useful Windows utility that’s been accompanying the OS since its inception. While it works great for some quick notes-taking or opening various plain text files for basic editing, at times you need to take confidential notes for which you want an additional layer of security in form of a password. NoteBook is a text editor for Windows that delivers the password protection feature, so you may encrypt any confidential notes without worrying about your privacy. The application allows you to save the notes as PPTF (Password Protected Text Files) with a password of your choice. The application also boasts an auto-save feature that automatically saves the current note after every 5 seconds to make sure you don't lose any information in case of a crash. Read More

Encrypt Text & Images As Playable MIDI Files With CipherTune

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Transferring sensitive information from one device to another can be risky. Data theft has become quite common, and with nearly all of our information exchange and management going digital, unauthorized access to your sensitive information by others can have quite damaging consequences for you. Even though some countries have started to toughen up their cyber crime laws, our data security is primarily in our own hands. If you are trying to transfer important data over the internet in the form of an email, or carrying it around on a USB flash drive, it is a good idea to have it encrypted so that in case it gets into wrong hands, no one else can view the information. However, people with proper knowledge and skill can still crack encrypted files when they come across them. You can avoid this by encrypting your files in such a way that they appears to be something else. Today, we present to you a Windows app called CipherTune that allows you to encrypt text and images and make them appear as MIDI files. The resulting MIDI files contains actual music from an instrument of your choice, and can be played in any supported media player without revealing the encrypted content. More on CipherTune after the jump. Read More

BoxCryptor Brings Dropbox & Google Drive Folder Encryption To Chrome

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You can never be too careful when it comes to security, so if you ever run into someone looking for a padlock for their padlock, don’t be surprised. Of the many things that come under threat and require extra protection, your digital data is possibly the most valuable and frequently targeted. This is why many of us look for ways to padlock our data, i.e., encrypt it so well Tony Stark wouldn't be able to get to it. BoxCryptor is a well known encryption tool for cloud drives - with clients for Windows, Windows 8 and RT, Mac, iOS and Android - and it has just released an extension for Chrome that lets you encrypt files from Dropbox and Google Drive’s web interface. Read More

Encrypt Sensitive Files Before Syncing Them To Cloud Services

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Cloud storage services have become an integrated part of our daily computer use for most of us. I can’t quite recall sending large files using my decade old email account anymore when my Dropbox suffices for the job. It’s both secure and easy to use, and has plenty of advantages over other options, for instance instant file synching across all connected platforms, no attachment size limitation that most email services are plagued with (until Google's recent integration of Drive with Gmail), and not to mention the free cloud space one gets for keeping our files accessible from anywhere in the world. However, for many, cloud storage raises the concern of security. Previously, we covered a Windows application called Cloudfogger that can encrypt any file before uploading it to the cloud. Today, we are bringing you yet another such utility called Secured Cloud Drive, which encrypts files using military-grade 256-bit AES encryption prior to sending them your selected cloud drive. It supports all major cloud services including Dropbox, SkyDrive, Google Drive and Bitcasa. Read More

Securely Embed Sensitive Information And Files In Images With Steg

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Sending out sensitive data on unsecured networks carries a considerable amount of risk. Anyone with malicious intentions and the proper knowledge can easily hack into your network and intercept the messages. If confidential documents containing financial information, passwords, or other important data get into the wrong hands, there can be a major security problem. In order to keep yourself safe, you can encrypt your data with a key and send the key to the intended recipient. However, some advanced hackers can even break some high level encryption if they locate the file. Another method to send your data in a safe way is by using a Steganography technique that involves infusing your data inside an image without changing the image itself. Steg is one such tool that performs the job flawlessly. This way, even if your file is intercepted by anyone, it will be a normal image file in the eyes of others, and there will be no visual indication of the encoded data. Keep reading to find out how to embed your sensitive data into an image using Steg. Read More

EncryptOnClick: Secure Files With Multiple Layers Of Encryption

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In the apprehension of various hackers lurking around the internet - always looking for security loopholes in our computers - our credentials can no longer be regarded safe. As technology is making progress by leaps and bounds, security measures are also improving. A wide array of information security methods have been developed to give hackers a hard time cracking our data. One of those methods is 256-bit advanced encryption standard algorithm, which is used by many top-of-the-line inviolable security applications. Although one cannot say that their files are completely uncrackable, having an extra layer of security still plays a pivotal roll. EncryptOnClick is a robust encryption tool for Windows, which aids in protecting your files through the aforementioned 256-bit AES. Users can encrypt a single item or a group of files within a few simple clicks via the application’s simple and intuitive interface. One key feature of the tool is that it allows you to decrypt the file even without using this software. You can open and extract the encrypted achieve via any third-party tool, such as 7-zip or WinZip, provided you already know the password. Read More

A+ Folder Locker: Powerful Data Encryption, Steganography & File Shredding Tool

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Massive changes in information technology over the past few years, have almost doubled (or maybe tripled) the amount of data proliferation on our computers. This has also led to some major security concerns, that is, as more and more information is being available digitally, companies are trying to employ various security techniques to keep such delicate information safe. One of the most proficient ways to keep your files confidential - which include videos, picture, documents, credit card information etc - is to encrypt them using some security software. Folder lockers and other file handling tools come in handy to perform the said operation. Back in June, I covered a data encryption software labeled Toolwiz BSafe, which let you create file Safes and mount them as virtual drives. A+ Folder Locker is more or less a similar application, but with much more robust security elements. Akin to safes in BSafe, the application lets you create encrypted Lockers. These lockers can be password protected or pattern protected, whichever seems feasible to you. What’s more, it also packs steganography and file shredding features. Another benefit it has over other similar tools is that it lets you input encryption password using an integrated virtual keyboard, making it harder to crack. Read More

DiskCryptor: An Easy-To-Use Alternative To TrueCrypt And BitLocker

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Those of you who use TrueCrypt or Bitlocker Drive Encryption would be very much familiar with how disk encryption software work. These applications provide one click data encryption to a whole partition or disk drive, keeping your data safe from prying eyes. Both of the aforementioned software contain a slew of features, and may even be called as best in the business. However, the steep learning curve may prevent most folks from using them. A rather easier solution you can try is DiskCryptor. This tool, as its name implies, is an easy to use drive encryption/decryption. Its user-friendly interface isn’t the only thing that left me impressed, but the advanced encryption algorithms are also something to praise, such as AES, Twofish, Serpent, AES-Twofish, and so on. It can help you encrypt your hard drive, thumb drive, as well as an optical drive within a few clicks. The application also supports keyfiles for a full-fledged disk encryption. As oppose to TrueCrypt, which backs up the whole drive - irrespective of the fact that how much data is stored - DiskCryptor would only backup the area where data is stored, proving to be a handsome time-saver. Does it fare well with other similar applications of its class? Let’s find out. Read More

Official Cloudfogger Android App Released For On-The-Go Access To Encrypted Cloud Data

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Cloud data encryption tools, such as BoxCryptor and Cloudfogger help you secure your computer, mobile and cloud content by providing with you an additional layer of security. By encrypting data through such tools, users are assured that their precious local and cloud content remains safe from any sort of unauthorized access, whatsoever. The aforementioned application, Cloudfogger for Windows, was reviewed in March 2012. At the time of review, the application supported integration with cloud storage giants, such as Dropbox, Box and SkyDrive etc., and provided you with a separate virtual drive on your PC in which you can simply drag and drop your cloud/computer data to get it automatically encrypted and shared with the associated cloud storage account. Now here’s some good news for all you Google Drive account owners and Android users. Cloudfogger has expanded its pool of supported cloud services by including the recently launched Google Drive to the club. In addition, the service has also launched a beta of its official Android client that lets you easily decrypt your Cloudfogger-encrypted data right on your mobile device. Read More

Free Password Manager: Store & Encrypt Valuable Data Or Credentials

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Remembering each and every password for your credentials is not plausible unless you have a striking memory, or you use a single password combination where ever you need.  We have covered an umpteen number of password storage utilities and today we have a similar application for you, named as Free Password Manager. It is a utility that provides you with a database where you can encrypt and store valuable information, such as credit card numbers, email passwords, notes, access codes and other significant data. The application facilitates you to create as many databases you want, each with its own separate password, which provides an extra layer of protection. It uses AES algorithm to encrypt data with a 256-bit key, making it highly difficult to crack. The program can be installed on a USB flash drive for using it on-the-go. Some of the key features include built-in password generator, logging of data changes, customizable database and folder fields, backup and restore of of passwords databases, information sorting, exporting and importing data to/from CSV and TXT files etc. Read More

Secret Delivery: Protect Files & Folders On Mac With Unique Passwords [Paid]

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Encrypting files and folders on a Mac is possible but it isn’t easy. You will have to create disk images of the items you want to protect, and mount them each time you wish to access the contents. This sounds neither fun nor convenient. Alternative ways to protect files is to use the FileVault utility that will create an encrypted disk on your system where everything, every-little-thing, will be encrypted. A simpler solution with a small price tag is Secret Delivery. It is a Mac app available for $1.99 in the Mac App Store that both encrypts and decrypts files. The app has a simple drag & drop interface and uses AES encryption standard to protect your data. Read More

Encoding Decoding: Quickly Encrypt/Decrypt & Password Protect Files

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Encoding Decoding is an encryption software, which provides a dead simple mechanism for encoding files, i.e., by dragging them to the applications interface and entering a password for them. This easy to use application makes it possible to quickly secure your important files, to protect them from unauthorized access. Furthermore, it does not replace the input file, but rather, creates a more secure version of it. The only thing that you may have to be concerned with is to remember the password, in order to gain access to protected files. Encoding Decoding (application) can be used to encrypt any kind of file, including pictures, code files, Excel sheets and other MS Office documents, PDF files, etc. Read More