Folder Lock

by: CNET staff on September 23, 2012

What's the biggest threat to your data? Is it snooping, or device theft, or hacking, or simple carelessness? How about all of the above? Suppose you could lock down your files, folders, drives, and devices with password protection; encrypt critically important data on the fly; store it on your smartphone or thumbdrive; and back it all up to a secure online storage locker that automatically syncs data and lets you access it on mobile devices? We'll tell you now that we're referring to one utility, Folder Lock, before we continue enumerating its features, which also include stealth mode, hack protection and logging (including forced shutdown); wallets for personal information like credit card numbers, file shredding, application-level passwords; and more. The latest release, Folder Lock 7, adds enhanced drag-and-drop capability, easier unlocking, and automatic backups of encrypted data to your online storage share. Folder Lock is free to try, with a 30-use limit.

Folder Lock installed smoothly in both our 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 systems. On first run, you're prompted to create a master password and enter it twice, consecutively: it's important to get it right. Folder Lock's colorful, wizardlike interface resembles a lot of premium tools, especially backup utilities. The left sidebar accesses its main features -- Lock Files, Encrypt Files, Secure Backup, Protect USB/CD, and Make Wallets -- which are all pretty much self-explanatory, except Make Wallets (which are nothing like you made at summer camp). All these features are easy to set up, and Folder Lock's interface walked us through each step. Clicking Learn More opened the User Guide, an excellent Help file that explains everything about using Folder Lock. An Xtras menu offers a file shredder and history cleaner; both pull their weight.

Folder Lock 7's security tools make it worth paying for over a collection of similar freeware tools, if it's possible to assemble one. But the online storage and sync makes the crucial difference. It not only stores and syncs data but also creates fully portable, secure, encrypted Lockers. You can even convert Lockers into encrypted executable files you can distribute to clients with help from the Protect USB/CD feature.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Folder lock 7.1.1.

Publisher's Description

From NewSoftwares:

Folder Lock is a full suite solution letting you keep your personal files encrypted and locked, while keeping an automatic and real-time backup of encrypted files to an online storage. It also offers portable security for USB drives and CDs/DVDs. Folder Lock also lets you lock files, folders and drives; save your personal information in Wallets; shred files and clean your Windows History. Folder Lock offers 256-bit AES on-the-fly encryption as well as syncing of encrypted files to an online storage. No need to decrypt or manually backup your files. You can later restore files at any time, on any computer. Lockers can also be converted to executables using the 'Protect USB/CD' feature that allows you to keep your encrypted files wherever you go in USB drives or CDs and DVD or convert your files and folders to encrypted ZIP files for email attachments.

Furthermore, if you want to protect your files without encrypting them, you can also lock your files, folders and drives on your PC from access and visibility. You can also create Encrypted Wallets to save personal information like Credit Cards, Bank Accounts and Business Cards. You can also Shred files, folders, drives and empty hard drive space. You can also clean Windows usage history. Additionally, Folder Lock comes with additional security settings unheard before. You can activate password security and restrict access to different parts of the application using an admin level master password. You can run the application in complete stealth using the Stealth Mode feature. You can also catch and perform actions on repetitive hack attempts and on basis of incorrect password logs and you can set automatic duration based protection for your data security, so you know that your stuff is no longer accessible to anyone else when you're away from your PC. Folder Lock works under all flavors of 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7/Vista/XP and later.

What's new in this version: Version 7.1.7 includes complete support for Windows 8 (newly released versions).