This is the first day of the second half of the Ghacks Christmas Giveaway. You can expect the same quality in the coming twelve days. We made lots of Ghacks readers happy by sending them licenses to commercial software products that we personally love and can fully recommend to anyone. Today’s software was donated by SecurStar, developers of the encryption software DriveCrypt.
DriveCrypt is a 1344 Bit disk encryption software using cryptographic algorithms such as AES, Blowfish or Tea 32 that can encrypt partitions, entire hard drives (with the exception of the boot drive) and USB devices. Besides that it can also create encrypted containers on storage devices so that only part of the space is reserved for the encrypted data.
DriveCrypt makes use of on-the-fly decryption to ensure that only the data that is currently needed resides in the computer’s memory to minimize the risk if someone would record and analyse the data in memory.

DriveCrypt is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. Installation is flawless as is the setup of the encrypted storage space. The software starts in simple mode which reduces the elements on the screen to a bare minimum. Experienced users can switch to the advanced mode which is providing them with more options in the interface.
The Simple Mode basically consists of four buttons which are used to create and manage data safes. It is possible to create a new safe, load an existing safe, dismount all safes or to scan for safes on the computer system.
There are usually no safes after the installation and it is up to the user to create the first encrypted safe. It is necessary to define a few parameters like the size of the container and the password but basically anything else including the algorithm is selected by the software program. It is possible to use a normal password or one that spans across four lines to increase security.

The advanced mode provides all the missing options for experienced users. They can select the file system and the encryption algorithm. The ability to create a encrypted partition is only available in the advanced mode like several other options:
- Invisible Containers: Create hidden containers in encrypted containers.
- Hide Data In Music Files: Add data to music files
- Hot Disk Encryption: Encrypt removable devices and make the data inaccessible once their are unplugged from the computer system.
- Password Security: Master Password for administrators, Restricted second user Passwords
and Second user Password Expiration - Password Sniffing Protection: protects against password sniffers like trojans or keyloggers.
- Anti Dictionary or Brute Force Attack mechanism: Slows down brute force attacks.
- Disk Wiping: DriveCrypt is able to delete the free space on a storage device so that the data is not recoverable.
- External Hardware Support: Works with fingerprint and smartcard readers, as well as USB token
- Works on any Storage Medium: Works on hard drives, removable devices including CDs and DVDs, basically anything that can be used to store data.
DriveCrypt offers an easy way to create encrypted containers for data on their storage devices. You can win one out of 50 licenses for DriveCrypt by writing a comment below.
Related posts:
Ghacks Christmas Giveaway: USB Safely RemoveGhacks Christmas Giveaway: Returnil Premium
Ghacks Christmas Giveaway: GoodSync
Ghacks Christmas Giveaway: RoboForm
Ghacks Christmas Giveaway – Blindwrite and ConvertXtoDVD
Ghacks Christmas Giveaway: ESET NOD32 Antivirus
Ghacks Christmas Giveaway: MediaMonkey Gold
Ghacks Christmas Giveaway: Cyberlink Software


Im currently use TrueCrypt but it gives me a error when I try to encrypt my USB :(
I hoppe this can encrypt my USB :D
(You can win one out of 50 licenses = GREAT :D )
It looks to be a good piece of software if you hava something to hide on your computer or any confidential data. ;)
Would like to win.
I’ve been using Encrypt Files but this sounds really good if is available for free
Excellent, i have some [s] porn [/s] important file i need to keep safe ;)
fun!
cool… I would like to try DriveCrypt!
great work
Woohoo!! And yet another great chance to win!! :)
I have tried TrueCrypt before, and would welcome the chance to try DriveCrypt!
Please enter my name into the draw :-)
One Here? :D
Would be happy to have a copy of Drivecrypt
(i have some errors with Truecrypt …)
and thanks one more time for my KIS licence ;-)
Looks like a winner to me… been using TrueCrypt for some time now, and this looks like the only suitable replacement.
This would be so good for my OH, please let today be lucky for me (well, the 13th has to be lucky for some doesn’t it!)
Look wonderful!
looks great to me
I think for important things like encryption one should stick to the big open source projects, such as TrueCrypt. An exploit in TrueCrypt would be headline news, and would be fixed fast. In this software, who would even hear about it?
Have not yet used a crypt program before. So I would like to try this one ;)
I still dont have bit disk encryption software with is using cryptographic algorithms, and to win this would be great.
I agree. I’ve been using Truecrypt since ver 4. Drivecrypt sounds promising but why get shareware when the free software is good enough?
enrolled
Sounds interesting, count me in.
Great Offer.
Hope to win one.
Have been looking for a REALLY good product like this that doesn’t crash on me. Would love to win a license.
Nice… I’d love to win this. :)
Count me in
Merry christmas!
I’d like one too, please :-)
This seems interesting!
This is a handy one if it works on thumb drives.
I am too a user of TrueCrypt, but i surely will love to have a software like this one! Make me lucky again Martin! ;-) thanks for this another nice giveaway!
Oh thx i wish i’ll get lucky and win a licence.
It would be great if I could win one of the licenses. Thanks!
I’d like to try this.
it’s the program i need!
Count me in. Thanks.
Count me in on one of these licenses also! Thanks!
Great peace of software. It really seems easy to use and it’s definitely useful. I want one of those (and hey, technically, if no one else post, we’re all winners. 50 licenses!)
Count me in on this =]
Let’s see if I’m lucky. So far, no winnings in this “competition”.. :(
never tried to use anything like this…. i hope i can have this one….. ty
I would also like to know how this compares with TrueCrypt. I guess if I win, I can try it out and do the comparison myself :)
never tried this but its some thing i need please count me in
sorry but truecrypt is good enough for me. and I can upgrade it.
Oh yes please, I could do with that…… the lurker.
Interesting.
Anyhow, I’m waiting for the next generation of on-the-fly encryption programs, which work on files only instead of whole drives.
This is very important since the many web applications (opendrive,dropbox,sincplicity that) that today raise serious privacy problems.
Looks great
Count Me In!!
This would be great – potential significant improvements over what I’m using now.
Count me in, please! Thanks!
I believe in Santa!He is real!
Groovy.
Hi,
Can I get one license ?
Thanx
Cool Software! Count me in on this.
Wonder what it’ll do when I try to use my Windows encrypted USB on a Linux box? Be interesting to experiment.
spooky :-)
this sounds like just what I need now that I carry my laptop everywhere I go.
Hi,
I used to rely on Cryptainer but it has some annoying bugs that wouldn’t be fixed. So please count me in. Thanks.
Sounds cool
I think today is the day!
I currently use TrueCrypt. It is open-source and it is awesome. In fact I think I got it after reading a post about it here on Ghacks!
Nice, I want to check out this program!
I want this. I believe this is one of the nicest products out there.
I will definitely make my husband happy if I win!
It’s great, one of my favourite blog and I can win interesting app…thanks!
thanKs!
thx, a great product, hope i win a licence.
Sounds great.
hai,
i have been using truecrypt even on USBs, but if partitions are possible on USB, that would be a break through, let us wish drivecrypt would do this
This looks awesome. I use truecrypt now also, but this would be nice because its compatible with x64. Nice choice, Martin. I hadnt heard of it before.
Thank you for the opportunity! Just discovered the site and it looks very helpful.
Am a regular reader, if i win, would be useful
Seems like I tried this years ago and it was a great product
Similar to TrueCrypt
I will try this, if i win
c00l
Not sure if it’s worth the performance hit, but it has appeal :-)
I am a TrueCrypt user as well . but would love to try out this one.
I used DriveCrypt before years ago. It was nice software then.. it’s probably even more impressive now!
I used this software until now, but the old version. Never try the latest, updated version =)
Happy with the old functionality especially the HDD/USB cryptor.
It works flawlessly until now =) The old skool one =)
Thanks for wining DriveCrypt.
It’s easy to use and the pc doesn’t become slower although it stays running, so it’s fast too.
Especially the Hot Disk Encryption is very handy to have.
Great gift!
I have heard about DriveCrypt on and off for some time but have never really considered trying it out. We use encryption software to protect proprietary company information for investment. Maybe its worth a try?
nice
Im currently use TrueCrypt i will like to have this license hope am not late
I wish i could have this
I find DriveCrypt’s full-disk (bootable) encryption captivating!
This is something I’ve been waiting for!