With ideal timing on its part given CDs-in-the-post-Gate, security firm Steganos has launched a free version of its leading encryption product Steganos Safe.
The freeware version, Steganos Safe One, enables users to encrypt up to 2 GB of important or sensitive data without it costing them a penny.
Users can create two large virtual drives of a gigabyte each, in which to store documents or any other data they wish to be kept secure. These fully encrypted Steganos Safes are independent of each other and offer a “wide range of flexible features and options, designed to maximise security and ensure the safety of the data.”
The application features a fully integrated password generator, capable of producing truly secure passwords, appropriate to individual users’ requirements. If users wish to create their own passwords, a multilingual built-in dictionary will recognise unsafe passwords and warn against them.
Portable devices, such as the iPod, USB sticks, digital cameras or PDAs, can be used as keys to open the safe. Other features include Steganos PicPass, an innovative way to use images as a password. By using PicPass, users can memorise a sequence of images in order to open their Safe. Steganos Safe One fully supports Microsoft Windows XP for the x64 processor architecture, and encrypts data with 256 bit AES, a highly secure encryption algorithm.
Aston Fallen, CEO of Steganos, said: “Almost everybody has private or personal data on their computers, and it is becoming increasingly important to find ways to protect that information from other users. Whether it is encrypting data on a laptop in case of theft or loss, or protecting sensitive or personal information from co-users on a desktop computer, Steganos is there to help. Steganos Safe One allows users to experience real peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that their privacy is protected, and without them having to spend anything to do so.”
For users who have larger data volumes, there is an upgrade path to Steganos Safe 2008, which offers an unlimited number of safes with a capacity of up to 256GB each. USB sticks can be used as mobile Safes, and encrypted data can be burned onto CD, DVD, and the 8.5GB capacity DVD-DL disks. Steganos Safe 2008 also includes Steganos Shredder, meaning that any unwanted data can be completely destroyed, leaving no data on the disk’s free space that can be reconstituted. Steganos Safe 2008 can be downloaded and purchased from Steganos’s website for £24.99.
Steganos Safe One is completely free, and is available now for download at www.steganos.com
