With security being a growing concern for many computer users, new options for protecting files and data are increasingly important. Thieves target computers for personal data and passwords which can be used in identity theft, plus it’s a major concern for businesses with customer data to protect. Encryption programs like VeraCrypt make it possible to lock files away so that only you, or someone with the right code, can open them. Better still, it’s free to download and use.

Disk encryption with open source backing

One of the strengths of VeraCrypt is that it’s open source, so any developer can add more features and improve what already exists. This is already true of the software as it stands, which is based on a previous version called TrueCrypt 7.1a. This has been improved on by the team behind this program, IDRIX. This software is capable of on the fly encryption, meaning that files are encrypted automatically as they write to the drive. The entire hard drive is secure and can only be opened by you, without you needing to do anything. Even free space is encrypted! When files are opened, the software automatically begins unencrypting them as they load.

Complete security but not user-friendly

While VeraCrypt is very capable indeed, it is not aimed at casual users. You will need a good understanding of computers to install and use the program. Still, in the right hands, this is great for free.