Cryptainer PE Encryption Software 7.2.3

Overview

How many times have you ever thought of locking your data somehow in order to prevent other users from accessing them, but were too lazy to search for a utility that did the job without troubling you with countless settings?  Well, now you found Cryptainer PE (Professional Edition), an awesome tool that creates several password-protected virtual drives that will be used for storing anything that you want to be locked. Simply copy the desired files to a virtual drive and you’re done.

Installation

The installation is really quick and straightforward and you won’t have to mess around with any settings at all. Just wait for the process to finish (will take about a minute or so) and then start the program. The setup package includes no 3^rd party software (toolbars etc.) or malicious items.

Supported operating systems are Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

Interface

The program’s interface is neat and not overloaded with functions. The first time you run Cryptainer, a window will open and help you create a new virtual volume. After doing so you will see the main window, which has the menu bar at the top and two tabs just below it (“Primary Volume” and “Additional Volume”). The first one has a few buttons on the toolbar (View in Explorer, Load, Unload, Secure Email, Shutdown & Exit and Have more power) and on the on main part of the window you can manage the primary volume (the volume that you created first) and its files. The second tab is for managing the volumes that you create afterwards.

Pros

All you have to do to secure your files/folders is create a volume and copy them to that volume (or any additional volume). When you finish transferring the data, simply unload the drive and it will disappear. To access its files you have to load it again, which requires you to open the volume file that was created for the particular volume (that’s why it’s important to remember where you saved it- Cryptainer remembers only where you saved your first volume file).

You can choose between two encryption algorithms; Blowfish-448bit encryption and AES-256bit encryption. Both are considered highly secure, and in essence there’s not much difference between them.

Cons

When creating a volume, the capacity that you set for it will be immediately occupied in the physical drive.

Alternatives

A respectable and highly accepted file encryption software is Folder Lock (paid). It has plenty of features that can guarantee your data’s safety even against the most powerful intrusion techniques. In contrast to Cryptainer, the created storage lockers grow in size as more files are added. But there are many more reasons to choose Folder Lock, mainly because it offers a wide variety of tools to safeguard your data and prevent unauthorized access.

Other very trusted alternatives are AxCrypt (free), Easy File Locker (free) and AES Crypt (free).

Conclusion

Cryptainer is made for the average and the more experienced user. It is easy to become familiar with and will by no means disappoint you with its set of features, so give it a try and check out its worth.