AxCrypt – Secure files and folders using encryption

Posted on March 17, 2008 at 6:01 am

Computer security is important in this day and age. The Internet, junk email, and peer to peer file sharing programs can be teeming with viruses and other malware, itching to infect your computer. The average person who purchases, or already owns, a computer most likely has the standard security fare. This would include defenses such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, and a firewall.

All right, so with our defenses up, and current updates, we are ready to stave off attackers. Seems like something is missing, does it not? It might be time to look at one more line of defense, but not something everyone considers.

AxCrypt is a freeware file encryption utility that locks down file and folders. It is a very lightweight program, that takes up little space on your hard drive, and is not that memory hungry, compared to other tools.

Installing the program on your Windows computer adds the AxCrypt option to your right-click menu. You can encrypt files and folders rather quickly with this method.

The first three choices on the right-click menu encrypt objects in a jiffy. There are slight differences between the three though. Choosing the Encrypt option will encrypt the selected file or folder. Encrypt a Copy will create a secured copy of your selection in the same directory you are working in, with the same name, except with an .AXX file extension. Should you pick “Encrypt copy to .EXE”, AxCrypt will create a self-extracting executable file, that can be used on another computer, without the need for AxCrypt being installed.

After you have chosen your particular format, AxCrypt will ask you for a pass phrase. Looking over the help menu will give you a general idea of how long the security phrase needs to be to get the full 128-bit strength encryption. I would recommend using a 6 or 7 word “sentence”. This would not read like a true sentence though, it would appear more like a jumble of letters and numbers if printed in text.

You can select “Remember this for decryption”, if you want AxCrypt to store the phrase in memory. It will remove it from temporary (RAM) memory when your computer is rebooted or shut off. It is imperative that you commit your phrase to human memory, or write it down (not a great practice in computer security, but the next image explains why). An excerpt from the AxCrypt Help Section further reinforces the importance of remembering your pass phrase.

As with some other encryption utilities, AxCrypt allows the user to create a separate, random character key file. If you use a key file, it would have to be loaded when you wish to decrypt your files or folders. Should you click on the … box in the pass phrase screen, you will be given the chance to make a key file. Helpful hint: For a more hardened security option, keep the key file on a separate device, like a burned CD or USB thumb drive.

To decrypt a file with AxCrypt, right-click on the file or folder, then choose Decrypt. It will ask you for the pass phrase, and key file if you created one. There is no random challenge and response type setup, you just have to have the one, or two, needed pieces of information.

Should you have the need for absolute destruction of a file or folder, this program gives you the option of “Shred and Delete”. This choice is available through the right-click menu as well. Please note that this action is very permanent, so use with caution.

While AxCrypt may seem intimidating, with the lack of a backdoor option, it is an incredibly simple program. The main program features, being added into the right-click Windows menu, makes it quick and easy to use. It can give the average computer user more peace of mind in securing data on their computer.

You can also check out another cool program that I had written about earlier called TrueCrypt, which you can use to encrypt files and folders on your computer.

This is a guest post by Charles Brader, a tech enthusiast and blogger.

» Filed Under Free Software Downloads

Comments

2 Responses to “AxCrypt – Secure files and folders using encryption”

eli said on : December 30th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Well actually I have a question. A few days ago I formatted my hard drive and made a copy of important files, but I remember that some files existed in a hidden folder. From what I understand, a Windows backup does not copy hidden files. The question is whether there is any way or program to retrieve those hidden files from a formatted hard disk.

AKA Riptide Furse » Krossbow’s del.icio.us bookmarks for March 21st - Add me to your del.icio.us network! Says:

[...] AxCrypt – Secure files and folders using encryption – AxCrypt is a freeware file encryption utility that locks down file and folders. It is a very lightweight program, that takes up little space on your hard drive, and is not that memory hungry, compared to other tools. [...]
March 21st, 2008 at 6:41 pm