5 Best Disk Encryption Software / Tools – Comparitech

• VeraCrypt is open-source and code audited, improves on TrueCrypt, works on Mac and PC, and allows creation of encrypted containers
• Bitlocker is built into Windows, is not open-source, only encrypts full disks, and has no plausible deniability mechanism
• Ciphershed is another TrueCrypt fork, works with old TrueCrypt containers, is slow with updates, and works on Mac, PC, and Linux
• FileVault 2 is built into Mac OSX Lion and later, only allows full disk encryption, and is not open source
• LUKS is an open-source option for Linux, supports multiple algorithms, but does not offer much support for non-Linux systems

1. VeraCrypt

VeraCrypt is a crotch of TrueCrypt and is widely considered its successor. It performs all of the like functions as TrueCrypt and then some. VeraCrypt adds security system to the algorithm used for system and partitions encoding. These improvements make it immune to new developments in brute-force attacks, according to developers. You can find a full list of improvements and corrections that VeraCrypt made on TrueCrypt here .
VeraCrypt uses 30 times more iterations when encrypting containers and partitions than TrueCrypt. This means it takes a snatch longer for the partition to start up and containers to open, but does not affect application use.

VeraCrypt is exempt and unfold source, and it constantly will be. The code is routinely audited by autonomous researchers. Because it is, at its core, very exchangeable to TrueCrypt, audited account of the original software hush apply to VeraCrypt .
VeraCrypt supports two types of plausible deniability–the being of encrypted datum is deniable because an adversary can not prove that unencrypted data evening exists. Hidden volumes occupy in the detached quad of visible container volumes–space which would otherwise be filled with random values if the obscure volume did not exist. Hidden operating systems exist alongside visible operating systems. If an adversary forces you to hand over a password, you can good give them the password for the visible OS .

2. Bitlocker

Bitlocker is popular Windows-only software used to encrypt entire volumes using the AES encoding algorithm with a 128- or 256-bit samara. Unlike TrueCrypt and VeraCrypt, Bitlocker can not create code containers. Entire partitions must be encrypted at once .
While this overture works for some people, keep in mind that if you leave your calculator logged in and person else uses it, all of your files will be visible. Windows has a freestanding encoding system called EFS ( encrypted file system ) for encrypting unmarried files and folders, but these are besides unlock whenever the user is logged in .
Bitlocker is not open source, which means the public can not inspect it for backdoors. Due to Microsoft ’ s friendly relationship with the NSA, this could be a deal-breaker for many. Concerns were besides raised when Microsoft removed the Elephant Diffuser –a feature that prevents code phonograph record modification–for performance reasons .
Bitlocker does not have a plausible deniability mechanism, although you could make the argument that the contents of your hard drive were modified because of the missing Elephant Diffuser. That ’ s a stretch, though .
Bitlocker verifies that attackers seaport ’ t modified the software used to boot the calculator .
Related post: Best Database Encryption Tools

3. CipherShed

Note: CipherShed is still available but hasn’t been updated since 2016.
Like VeraCrypt, CipherShed started as a branch of TrueCrypt. It ’ s available for Windows PC, Mac OSX, and Linux, although it must be compiled for the latter two. The first non-alpha translation was released in February this year, but there ’ south still no intersection ( v1.0 or belated ) release .
Development seems to be much slower than VeraCrypt, but it is inching forward. The faults in TrueCrypt have been patched .
other than being further behind in development, CipherShed doesn ’ t differentiate itself a lot from VeraCrypt. You can perform full harrow encoding or create code containers .
One top is that CipherShed can be used with TrueCrypt containers, while the newer versions of VeraCrypt are not. VeraCrypt ’ randomness increased key derivation ( the iterations mentioned above ) make it incompatible with TrueCrypt containers, but arguably more guarantee as well .
CipherShed relies on shroud volumes–just like VeraCrypt–for plausible deniability .

4. FileVault 2

FileVault 2 is Apple ’ s answer to Bitlocker. First launched with OSX Lion, the Mac-only software uses an AES-XTC 128-bit algorithm for broad disk encoding. The drug user ’ s login password is used as the encoding winder .
like to Bitlocker, FileVault 2 has no choice to create code containers. That means once you ’ ve logged into your Macbook, all of the hard drive ’ sulfur data is unencrypted and visible until the system is powered down .
Another shared similarity to Bitlocker : FileVault 2 is not open source. That means it can not be audited by the populace and may contain backdoors .

5. LUKS

For Linux users, LUKS is based on cryptsetup and uses dm-crypt as the disk encoding backend. Short for Linux Unified Key Setup, LUKS specifies a platform-independent standard on-disk format for habit in diverse tools .
LUKS doesn ’ metric ton have all the features of VeraCrypt or other options, but it offers more flexibility when it comes to encryption algorithm .
LUKS doesn ’ triiodothyronine travel well between operating systems and only truly works well for Linux, although Windows users can access LUKS-encrypted disks using LibreCrypt .
LUKS does not support plausible deniability.

Is TrueCrypt plug ?

TrueCrypt was a democratic means of harrow encoding on both Mac OSX and Windows operating systems with millions of users .
After its anonymous developers ditched TrueCrypt under reasonably mysterious circumstances, theories swirled about electric potential security system flaws that could compromise users ’ data. The most damnatory came from Google ’ second visualize Zero security system team, which uncovered two previously unknown vulnerabilities. One of them allows an lotion running with normal user privileges to escalate those privileges to an administrative tied .
In 2015, the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology conducted a formal audit of the last stable liberation of TrueCrypt. The 77-page composition found respective early bugs in TrueCrypt, but ultimately determined that the software is guarantee when used for its primary use lawsuit. That is, to encrypt data at rest such as on an external hard drive or USB drive. The Institute acknowledged that the bugs uncovered by Google do exist, but they can not be exploited to give attackers access to encrypted data .
While encrypting data on an external drive got the Institute ’ s all pass, the lapp task on a calculator ’ second memory or a wax drive did not. If a drive is mounted, the key used to encrypt data is stored in the computer ’ mho memory. That key can be recovered and used to decrypt data at a late time .
calm, the likelihood of a hacker taking advantage of these circumstances is pretty reduce. Either the code container must be mounted, in which case the decrypted data is available anyhow, or the computer must go into hibernation with the code container mounted. If person accesses a calculator while an code container is open, then that ’ s game over anyhow. Otherwise, users must not allow computers with code, mounted drives to hibernate while an code container is open .

Should I use TrueCrypt ?

If you have an older system with one of the original versions of TrueCrypt installed, and you ’ rhenium not using it on mounted drives, you should be in the clear barring the unlikely scenarios above. TrueCrypt is slenderly less impregnable for hop on drives for the reasons described above .
But if you don ’ triiodothyronine already have TrueCrypt, then downloading and installing it now could put you at risk. Remember that the software was formally discontinued over two years ago, and hasn ’ thymine officially been available for download since. While some websites and torrents claim to offer a genuine copy of TrueCrypt for download, there ’ s little means to know whether it has been tampered with, particularly if you ’ re not a software adept .
Some users point to archived copies available on Github, where the code can be freely audited. But most of those repositories haven ’ thyroxine been audited by experts because doing sol is a time-consuming and dearly-won procedure. The candid Crypto Project says one Github repository, a copy of TrueCrypt 7.1, is verified .
While there ’ s no evidence to support such a claim, some users say the security system of TrueCrypt contains backdoors for government officials .
If you ’ re very set on using TrueCrypt, that ’ s credibly your best bet. But we recommend trying a newer option. Some of these disk encoding tools are forks of the original TrueCrypt, while others were developed individually .

DiskCryptor discontinued

Update: DiskCryptor has been discontinued. It’s last update was in September 2014. It is still available on SourceForge.
DiskCryptor is another Windows-only full magnetic disk encoding solution. relative to the above options, very little courtly security analysis has been performed on DiskCryptor even though it ’ second candid source. We besides don ’ thyroxine know much about the authors and their motives. agnosticism as to whether the software is rightfully reasoned runs high. indeed why was it democratic ?
DiskCryptor is fast and easy to use. It requires far fewer computer science resources and encrypts faster than TrueCrypt. DiskCryptor uses 256-bit AES, Twofish, Serpent or a combination of cascade algorithm in XTS mode to carry out encoding. Serpent is reportedy the fastest .
DiskCryptor supports encoding of external devices including hard drives, USB drives, CDs, and DVDs. It supports several multi-boot options .
If you ’ re hiding something from the NSA, DiskCryptor credibly is not the best option. But it should work fine if your calculator is stolen or a nosy nephew tries to access your files .
DiskCryptor ’ s plausible deniability feature allows you to install a computer ’ south bootloader onto a USB tug or candle. Without the bootloader, the code contents of a calculator ’ randomness hard drive expect like blank outer space with random data. The downside to this overture is you must always use the cadmium or USB bootloader to start the calculator and decode data .

A bill on plausible deniability

Don ’ t pick your encoding software based on its plausible deniability mechanism. While it ’ s a courteous bonus, it ’ s a weak defense .
In terms of harrow encoding, plausible deniability means no one can prove there is encrypted data on your calculator because the code data looks the same as no datum at all–just random randomness .
The problem is that the noise can look a little besides random, and a keen expert can spot other signs that a disk has been encrypted ( this is called “ randomness analysis ” ). The debate of whether plausible deniability would actually hold up either in a court of police or a torture bedroom is highly arguable .

Use a VPN to encrypt data in passage

Disk encoding will protect your data while it ’ s at respite on your computer or external repel, but it won ’ t provide any auspices for that data while it ’ s transmitted across the internet. For that, you ’ ll need a VPN.

Short for virtual individual network, a VPN encrypts all of a device ’ mho internet dealings and routes it through a waiter in a location of your choose. The code burrow protects data in theodolite from your ISP and anyone else on the local net who may be snooping. After it leaves the VPN server, it ’ s no farseeing encrypted, but all the traffic comes from the waiter ’ s IP address alternatively of your own. The server IP is typically shared by dozens or even hundreds of users, making your bodily process efficaciously anonymous. You can see our clean of the best VPN providers here .
“ Bank vaults under Hotels in Toronto, Ontario ” by Jason Baker licensed under CC BY 2.0