Review: Steganos Safe 6

Extend the same functionality to portable media and you have a very useful utility. Hardened IT security personnel know the best security systems and processes are of little use if you cannot get people to use them. Make life difficult and your own organization's staff will find work-arounds to avoid the process. This is where this product shines.

Steganos Safe 6 is an intriguing product based on a simple idea. Hide your drives and folders and people will not know you have them, let alone be tempted to explore the files therein. Then, automatically encrypt everything you place in them using industry standard encryption algorithms. Add a powerful shredder and you have the basis for fairly secure file storage and management. It is as if you are placing your work in a safe every time you finish using your PC, hence, the safe analogy.

In concept and operation it is direct and we cannot imagine anyone being unable to use it. Users only have to remember a password to re-establish and access the contents of a hidden drive.

While files placed in these secure drives are encrypted (AES 128 bit) for extra security, this process is transparent to the users, who just save and retrieve files in the same manner they normally would.

The file shredder works and offers several levels of protection, including technology equivalent to that used at U.S. Department of Defense levels. This function, like everything in the Steganos Safe program is easily used with minimum instruction.

A brief instruction booklet is supplied, but it is printed in such a small typeface as to render it practically useless and Steganos should rethink this item.

Operation is particularly intuitive and will present no problems. If you are regularly working with sensitive information, this is a real boon, offering additional security with very little effort from you. As such, Steganos Safe 6 is a product easily recommended. Deleting previously created secure drives was intuitive and fuss free, as was every facet of operation.

For:

Intuitive interface and use.

Against:

Could do with greater clarity in its documentation.

Verdict:

A program which does what it claims to do with no fuss.

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