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What is the best, free encryption software?

TrueCrypt is an open-source encryption program for encrypting your entire hard drive, flash drive, partition, or file containers. TrueCrypt is expiable of running on Windows 7, Vista, and XP, Mac OSX, and Linux. System Encryption (full drive) is only available on Windows computers at this time, still, Containers can be made and encrypted under MacOSX and Linux, which is a very useful tool for documents that need to be secured.

Main Features as listed on TrueCrypt.org:

• Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
• Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
• Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed (pre-boot authentication).
• Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent.
• Parallelization and pipelining allow data to be read and written as fast as if the drive was not encrypted.
• Provides plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password:
  Hidden volume (steganography) and hidden operating system.
• Encryption algorithms: AES-256, Serpent, and Twofish. Mode of operation: XTS. Further information regarding features of the software may be found in the documentation.

General Requirements:
Requirements have not been specified for TrueCrypt, except to say which service packs (or subversions, in Mac, kernel versions in Linux) are necessary to effectively run TrueCrypt.

A special security advisory
If you choose to encrypt your password, for extra security it is not bad to set up a BIOS password or a hard drive firmware password, but the BIOS and Hard Drive Firmware passwords MUST be different from your encrypted drive’s password, otherwise anyone with the right software can easily “pick up” yourpassword.

Why TrueCrypt?
TrueCrypt has no back-doors, and allows multiple encryption methods for especially secured systems (though, multiple encryptions would not be a necessity for a home user, most likely). The interface is easy to use, and everything is very straight-forward.

How does work? (From the user’s perspective of system encryption)
After encryption, whenever you start your computer a screen will appear directly after the BIOS have finished doing their thing asking you for a password. Enter the password, and you are done.

Worried that it will be too hard to install?
Just follow the instructions, don’t click “next, next, next, next”.)

Reasons to encrypt:
Professionals with client/patient records  much keep their information secure. Even for home users, you keep your tax records, emails, banking information, even instant messenger conversations on your computer.

If a thief walks away with your computer, you need to do all you can to first and foremost: Keep them from accessing your data. Second, make sure your computer becomes just a plastic rectangle without a password.

But, I have a password on my computer!
With a special program, anyone can change a simple Windows computer password. Even a laptop security chip can be bypassed by someone who knows what they are doing, and even more a Desktop is very easy to “get in” to.

Linux uses a very good encrypted password system, but most home folder files are not encrypted, and even if they are other system files are still accessible.

Mac passwords can be reset without a disc of any kind by booting into the Unix shell, and typing in a certain command.

BIOS passwords can be reset by removing the battery.

Hard drive firmware passwords can be read by almost any computer using certain software.