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Add a symbol and it takes even longer"p4ssworD!" Would take approximately 275 days. An even stronger password would be a sentence that's a combination of letters, numbers, symbols and capitalization. Something simple to remember but difficult to imagine, like"mYd0g!sMyp4ssw0rD," would take a PC about 3 quintillion years to figure out.Encryption Software: Things We Tested, What We FoundMost of the encryption software for Windows we analyzed lets you combine your encrypted files in one protected place, whether it is a locker, library or vault.

Ideally, the document encryption software you select should work quickly, be user friendly and keep your information safe.PerformanceWe tested all the encryption methods thoroughly using 63 documents that totaled 128MB to determine which application was the best overall. Those that converted the documents quickly received more credit in the final scores than others.

Although encrypting such a small batch of documents only took seconds in most cases, some apps took minutes to finish the task. When you are locking up only a couple megabytes' worth of information, it's not a huge deal, but 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 own files fairly quickly.

The apps we include in our lineup are overall easy and intuitive, particularly Folder Lock and Secure IT. They guide you through processes step by step. Secure IT provides you access to encryption by integrating with the Windows operating platform, so all you've got to do is tap on a document and choose to encrypt it in the menu.In virtually every evaluation, we discovered that these file encryption applications compress files since they encrypt them.

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People who compressed files the most received more charge in scoring.SecurityEncryption software uses different kinds 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 is considered one of the strongest encryption ciphers available.

Though any one of these ciphers may be broken given enough time and computing power, they are considered almost unbreakable. AES has long been recognized as the exceptional algorithm, so we gave more credit to the apps that my company employ AES.Many data programs include an option to shred your files when you are ready to bury data.

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

The longer and more random your password is, the tougher it is to break. A password strength meter included in this program is useful. Many programs require a master password to utilize the software, and then a separate password for each vault or collection of files. Password generators are also useful if you don't want to have to come up with strong passwords yourself.We sent encrypted documents via email and supplied a password into the tester to unlock the files.

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You are using your mouse, which prevents potential keyloggers out of recording your password as you type it. Your Windows operating system includes a digital keyboard, so you have access to this safety feature, but apps like Folder Lock and Advanced Encryption Package Pro make it effortless to access. Stealth mode offers even more privacy anyone else that logs on to your personal computer or hacks in won't even notice that you used encryption software.After encrypting documents, some applications allowed us to back up the protected data and connect with upload to a additional resources server, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, which can be called redundant security.

In fact, you can upload any of your encrypted files to a cloud area and your files remain safe.Top Ten Reviews Aims, whenever possible, to evaluate all goods and services in hands-on tests that mimic as closely as possible the experiences of a typical consumer. We obtained the software in our comparison on loan by the companies and through retail a knockout post purchase.

Outcomes of our evaluations were not provided to the companies in advance of publication.What Else Is Important in Choosing Encryption SoftwareWhile security is the utmost factor in picking the right encryption software for you personally, it's obviously important that you choose a program that works for your own system. Also, if you run into issues with your software, 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, such as Vista or XP, then you certainly want to make sure that the program still supports your operating system.