Until a year or 2 ago, the best-known program for creating and using encrypted container files was TrueCrypt, which was open source and widely supported with millions of users. Then the project was abruptly shut down. No one quite knows why, but rumours persist that the developers were formally discouraged from maintaining something that could allow law enforcement agencies to intercept information.

Luckily, the project now lives on in the form of VeraCrypt, which is based on the TrueCrypt code. It's still open source and it's still free, and it works just the same. It includes some minor new features, some bug fixes, and ongoing support. And it will work with your existing TrueCrypt container files if you have any.

VeraCrypt is a 10 MB download. The program is malware-free according to VirusTotal and Web of Trust.  Read More