Why Do You Need Encryption Software?

Do you throw your credit card statements in the trash? How about documents that include your phone number, social security number, address, and date of birth? No, you shred the papers first, to make it difficult for others to read.

The same goes for sensitive information stored on a computer. It needs protection. Data encryption means you’ve essentially shredded it. No one can read it. But luckily with computers, we can “unshred” our data back to its original state, and then shred it again. We can do this as many times as we like. And unlike paper, your shredded data can’t be pieced together, at least not without knowing the proper key or password.

So why does anyone need file encryption software? Information that is private can be embarrassing if released to the public, hence the word private. In addition, losing personal information to the wrong person (stolen laptop) could result in identity theft. Lots of worry, lots of stress, and none of it necessary, should we always choose to protect our sensitive data.

On this site, you'll find articles on encryption software, and comprehensive reviews to help you make an informed decision on which package is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

What to Look for in Encryption Software

It must be easy to use and provide 100% reliability of data. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate the software:

Ease of Use
It should be easy to install, and easy to use. If it is built correctly, the user will rarely need to consult the help file, or look for support on the company’s website. This is a true indication that the application was created with the customer in mind.

Data Security
It should have the following security features at a minimum: A strong encryption elgorithm (at least 256 bit AES or equivalent), shredding of original files after encryption, 100% reliability of data after encryption/decryption and a password strength meter to insure a strong password.

Feature Set
The saying “You get what you pay for” is quite often true. In many cases, however, the average user probably only needs a few features to fulfill his needs. The more bells and whistles means the more you’ll pay for that extra unneeded bloat, i.e., do you really need biometric ID verification? At a minimum, when looking for encryption software, the following features should be included: An uncrippled trial version so that you can fully test the program using your configurations, speedy encryption/decryption of files and folders, context menu options - ability to right click on any file folder and encrypt/decrypt and portability – can you encrypt/decrypt your files on the go, without needing the main program?

Help and Documentation
Encrypting your files and folders needn’t be difficult. The internals of the software that convert your data to unintelligible 1’s and 0’s do all the hard work. Other than that, the interface should give you simple choices to make, and be self explanatory. But sometimes we need help. At a minimum, any software package should have these help options: A built in help file with lots of graphics, easy to read instructions, the ability to search and so on; built-in or online tutorials; a knowledge base or a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and email support.

So let’s not delay any further. Your data needs protecting.  And what better way than with Folder Lock.