TrueCrypt

When storing confidential or private information on their computers, all users want to make sure their data cannot be accessed by unauthorized people, so they rely on specialized apps for hiding their folders or password-protecting them.

A newer and supported alternative is VeraCrypt. It works with the latest Windows OS.​

TrueCrypt can also come in handy, as it enables you to create secure virtual disks that need to be mounted before exploring their stored files and folder, thus providing them with an extra security layer.

You need to start by assigning a drive letter to your target volume, then specify the type you prefer - you can create an encrypted file container or encrypt a non-system partition, while also getting the possibility to protect the system partition or the entire drive.

If you go for the first option, you can generate a standard TrueCrypt volume or a hidden one, depending on the protection level you are interested in. Next, you only need to select the target location, be it on a fixed drive or on a USB removable flash drive.

When it comes to the encryption algorithm, you can choose between several types, such as AES, Serpent, Twofish, AES-Twofish, AES-Twofish-Serpent, Serpent-AES, Serpent-Twofish-AES or Twofish-Serpent. The supported hash algorithms are the following: RIPEMD-160, SHA-152 or Whirlpool.

You can protect your newly-created container with a strong password - it is recommended to use one that contains a combination of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. For extra security you can use keyfiles that help you better protect the files and stored within the TrueCrypt volume.

Once you completed all the aforementioned steps, you can mount the container and open it from the main window of the app. You can copy documents to this volume, then unmount it when you no longer need it.

TrueCrypt can come in handy to all those who want to make sure their documents can only be accessed by those who know the correct password of the encrypted volume.