I recommend that you always encrypt confidential data on your computer and especially when storing it in the cloud.
Because computers are repeatedly targeted by hacker attacks via the Internet. Even if you share your computer with others, you should encode something personal. In this post I will introduce you to three free encryption tools just in case.
Encrypt your confidential data
It can quickly happen that confidential data such as tax returns, personal correspondence or private photos can get into the hands of unauthorized third parties.
After all, computers are not only permanently vulnerable to attack via the Internet, because data can be quickly copied to a USB stick by curious users or sent by e-mail in an unobserved moment. Last but not least, your computer can be lost or even stolen.
In these cases, only encryption of the most important data offers effective protection against data misuse. It’s easy to do with free tools.
The hard drive as a data safe
VeraCrypt is used to encrypt hard disk areas, which can then be found in the system as a data safe with its own drive letter. As with a partition, data can be saved or deleted here. The size of the protected area is only limited by the storage capacity of the hard disk.
The data safe can only be opened if you enter a previously defined password. Incidentally, the program is the successor to TrueCrypt (development has been discontinued) and offers a very similar interface and operation.
Effective encryption made easy
The program interface of aborange Crypter is similar to that of the Windows file manager and offers you a familiar environment the first time you use it. With a click of the mouse, you simply determine which files should be encoded and then assign a password.
If you do not know this password, you cannot make the data visible. If you want to send encrypted files, the recipient must also install orange Crypter to decode the data. This shortcoming only switches off the paid version of the program (30 euros) by offering the option of creating .EXE files.
Security for the cloud with Dropbox
Even if you store your data in the cloud, it should be encrypted. After all, even governments occasionally claim access to data storage on the Internet. If you use a service like Dropbox, Google Drive, SugarSync, Microsoft OneDrive or Box, you can put a stop to data spies with the Boxcryptor tool.
The application encrypts all data in the online storage. Boxcryptor is available free of charge for one service and two devices. If you want to protect several online storage units, you have to pay 36 euros per year.