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Because data encryption is essential.

In this internet-connected world, it’s become more important than ever to keep our information safe. Whether it’s personal or work-related, our data is always at risk of falling into the wrong hands, all the more reason to choose the best free encryption software.

What is data encryption?

On a basic level, encryption is one of the best protection methods available to keep all your digital assets safe. The encryption process uses a key and an algorithm to transform the accessible data into an encoded piece of information which can only be deciphered by authorized persons.Source. Encryption helps you secure sensitive information from cyber criminals or other online threats and make access harder to them. At the same time, it’s a way that can be used to archive large amounts of data or to secure private communication over the Internet. According to “The 2019 Global Encryption Trends Study” released by the Ponemon Institute, 45% of the organizations surveyed said they have an encryption policy in place to secure the most important data. Both Internet users and organization can do that with the help of free encryption tools which can enhance protection by keeping valuable information hidden from malicious actors. Encryption is essential to protect critical data, no matter if it is stored locally, on the PC, or sent over the Internet. So which are the encryption tools? We’ve put together this list of free encryption software to choose from. Before we jump to these encryption software products available for free, we outline the importance of always using strong and unique passwords for all your online accounts. When setting up your encryption process, you’ll be asked to choose a password as your decryption key. Before you do that, make sure you apply these actionable security tips to manage passwords like an expert and make them more secure and unbreakable by cybercriminals.

• Set unique and strong passwords, which contain different characters, like uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers, and are more than 15 characters long. There are several tools you can use to test if your passwords are strong enough.
  
• Also, you’ll need to set passwords which are not easy to remember or guess, and aren’t used for more than one online account.
  
• To enhance your online security, you should not keep your passwords saved in text files or browsers;
  
• Never use/reuse the same password for more than one account;
  
• Do not share your passwords in emails, instant messages or other online platforms.
  

We carefully curated and put together some of the best free encryption software tools you can use to keep your most valuable data safe and secure.

1. LastPass

Probably one of the most popular password manager tools out there, LastPass can be used for free with limited features, but will still secure your passwords and personal data. Using an encryption software tool like this one, you’ll no longer have to remember or note a password in a notebook or any other physical place. LastPass comes with an easy-to-use and intuitive interface and can simplify things for you. There are extensions available for the main web browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Also, you can use the mobile app available for both Android and Apple.

When you create a new online account, it offers the option to save the new credentials. This tool encourages you to set a unique and hard to break password and discourages users to reuse it. If you’re using the same password for multiple accounts, it simply recommends selecting a different password. Other password management tools you can use Sticky Password or RoboForm come with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface and can provide good password security. To safely manage passwords, we encourage users to follow these security steps included in this guide and use the use two-factor authentication system, whenever possible.

2. BitLocker Source: Windows Central While there are many encryption tools available you can use to encrypt your data locally, most users prefer to use Microsoft’s BitLocker software. You can either use it to encrypt a particular disk partition or the entire hard disk. BitLocker is a full-disk encryption tool built-in in the latest Windows operating systems (Windows 10), which uses AES (128 and 256-bit) encryption to encrypt data on the drives. The Advanced Encryption Standard has been tested and improved and is now used worldwide by the most security vendors due to its high level of security and optimization.

Why you should choose BitLocker: 

• Easy to use and it’s already integrated into your Windows operating system, so there’s no need to add another encryption software;
  
• It’s a free data encryption software tool you can use to prevent data breaches and data exfiltration from your hard disk.
  
• It encrypts your entire drive, which makes it impossible for malicious actors stealing your laptop to remove the hard drive and access your files.
  
• When BitLocker Drive Encryption is activated, and you add new files, BitLocker will encrypt them automatically.
  

However, as an encryption technology built into Microsoft, it’s been a target for researchers looking for flaws in popular tools used by people. That’s why a researcher was able to find a new and relatively simple way that Windows BitLocker encryption keys can be sniffed in less secure configurations as they travel from Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) during boot.”

3. VeraCrypt

Another free encryption software tool you can use which is available for Windows, OS X and Linux operating systems. Just like BitLocker, it supports Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and can hide encrypted volumes within other volumes. It is an open source program which means developers and researchers can download and use the source code.

Source: GHacks.net This encryption software is a great alternative to TrueCrypt tool and is constantly getting improvements and security enhancements.

VeraCrypt 1.24, the upcoming next version of VeraCrypt is currently available for beta tests and can be downloaded from here. The new version is expected to come with lots of security and functionality improvements to better secure users’ data.4. FileVault 2Looking to encrypt your data stored on devices featuring macOS and Mac hardware? FileVault 2 is a free encryption software tool we recommend checking out. Just like BitLocker and VeraCrypt tools, FileVault

4. FileVault 2

Looking to encrypt your data stored on devices featuring macOS and Mac hardware? FileVault 2 is a free encryption software tool we recommend checking out.

Just like BitLocker and VeraCrypt tools, FileVault 2 (FileVault full-disk encryption) uses XTS-AES-128 encryption with a 256-bit key “to help prevent unauthorized access to the information on your startup disk”. If you’re interested in installing it on your Mac computer, this guide will come in handy.

5. DiskCryptor

Yet another open-source and free encryption software you can use to secure your internal and external drive, including system partition, and even ISO images, or USB flash drives or any other storage devices. Just like BitLocker, it is a full-disk encryption tool for Windows OS and includes multiple encryption algorithms such as AES, Twofish, and Serpent. The interface is simple and intuitive,  all you need to do is select the drive and click on “Encrypt” to protect your data.

6. 7-Zip

Many users are not interested in encrypting the entire hard disk, but only specific files and documents that store sensitive information. It’s a free and open source encryption software, as well as a lightweight solution known for its simplicity. This software tool is capable of extracting most archives and features strong AES-256 encryption.
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