Great Free File Encryption Software And Other Miscellaneous Encryption Tools

This page deals with software which provide encryption facilities just for single files or folders. Now, when will you actually use these software?

You might want to use these file encryption tools for encrypting an attachement, to be sent by email, which is going to contain personal or confidential business information. You would not like someone intercepting your email and checking out your personal information, would you?

These software are also ideal to encrypt file on your computer, to protect it from prying eyes. Don't rely on the password protect feature provided by popular office packages as they can easily be by-passed or these passwords can easily be recovered using specialized password recovery tools.

AxCrypt

This free software is distributed under the GNU GPL License. It is a command line tool with numerous option availble, and also integrated in your Windows right-click menu. Moreover, AxCrypt uses a 128-bit AES algorithm to encrypt files, which can be upto 4GB big. You can additionally create keys to give more protection to your file.

BCArchive

This software, alhough it can be listed in Free File Compressors and Archiving Utilities, has been placed here because of its dual purpose. This software can compress data and then encrypt the archive. It supports the IDEA, Triple-DES, CAST5 and Blowfish algorithms and uses the PKCS to get the encrypted key from the password you have typed in. You can also get asymmetric algorithms like ElGammal/Diffie-Hellman and RSA or secure hash algorithms like SHA-256, SHA-1, MD5, RIPEMD-160. Additionally, you can create self-extracting archive for your files,so that the recipient need not have BCArchive on their PC to open it.

CCrypt

This open source software is a command-line tool which enables you to ecrypt file using the Advanced Encryption Standard version of the Rjindael AES encryption algorithm and is cross-platform as it can works on all of these: Windows, Linux, Sun Solaris, Macintosh OS X, FreeBSD, AIX.

Crypto-Lock

This software can compress all types of files and does this after compressing them. it uses the SHA-1 and Blowfish encryption algorithms to do the work and it can create self-extracting packages for you to distribute.

CrypTool

This is a software which comprises nearly al cryptographic algorithms and can be used to learn cryptography using a single software. It is a freeware and runs on Windows.

File Buddy

Another file encryption utitity which works on Windows 95 and up + Mac. It compresses your files, encrypts them and then secure shred them, leaving no evidence of its existence.

FineCrypt

This software allows you to encrypt files and folders. However, you can encrypt only a limited number of files and folders, and dissapointingly enough, the software cannot encrypt archive files like zip, rar, cab, etc. On a positive note though, FineCrypt allows you to create self-extracting encrypted files and among the many algorithms supported, somre are: MARS, RC-6, Rjindael (AES), Serpent and Twofish.

FreeSecurity

This software, programmed in Java, encrypts your files using the 128-bit AES encryption algorithm . Since it is programmed in Java, the supported platforms for this software are: Linux, MAC, Windows and Solaris.

File Vault

This is another file encryption software which enables you to merge a group of file and folder into a single encrypted package. The package can also be made self-extracting, so that if you need to give t to someone, the latter need not have File Vault on their computer.

KPKFile

This freeware allows you to encrypt your files. It also allows you to hide those files or simply camouflage them in an image or Microsoft Word file. It is runs under Windows.

LockNote

This is a small program design to protect plain text documents with a password after being encrypted. The encryption algorithm is AES 256. It works under Windows 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista and is distributed under the GNU GPL License.

MCrypt

This a Unix/Linux tool which works as a comand-line software. it encrypts your files on demand and supports the OpenPGP encrypted file format. It current supports many file formats, among which are: lowfish, Twofish, DES and TripleDES. There is also a Windows version available.

Parisien EncryptionTools (PET)

This is an encryption suite for you to use. It includes single file encryption tool, it also has a multiple file archiver with encryption, a text editor with encryption, a clipboard which is encrypted, voice encrpting tool among others. It uses the powerful Blowfish algorithm and runs on Windows. The suite also contains a data wiping utility. Parisien EncryptionTools (PET) is a freeware. Recommended!




PowerCrypt 2000

Another regular Windows file encryption software used to secure data.