Taking a small break from giveaways , here is a normal and useful post for most of you. How often you are concerned about security of your critical and personal data stored on your system? What you do to protect that data? Apart of Antivirus solution, do you use any special tool or application for securing your data?

Today I will be talking about Four Free and useful tools which can help you to Protect confidential and critical files, data, folders with password and hide them. All of them are fairly easy to use with features varying a bit between them.

1. Easy File Locker

Easy File Locker is a light-weight and easy-to-use file lock software product for Windows. It can protect your private files and folders. With its great protection, users will not be able to open, read, modify, delete, move, copy the locked files/folders, or even not be able to see it. The hidden files/folders will be totally invisible to all users and to any program.

This is a nice and small utility but it doesnt provide a great level of security like 256 bit encryption etc. Also the User interface is that great and does not supports drag & drop feature. Still lot of work needs to done on it but still its a good product.

2. My LockBox

My Lockboxâ„¢ is a security software enabling you to password protect any folder on your computer.

The protected folder (lockbox) is hidden from any user and application of your system, including Administrator and System itself. It is impossible to access the lockbox not only from the local computer, but also from the net.

Features: –

  • Very easy in use
  • Almost any folder on your computer can be password protected
  • Instant protection – no file scrambling or moving to another place
  • Lockbox folder is inaccessible even by the system administrators
  • Lockbox folder is inaccessible both locally and remotely.
  • Lockbox folder can be protected in Windows safe mode
  • Windows XP x64 support
  • Hotkeys support – you can popup Control Panel with a simple keystroke.
  • Skinned user interface

3. SafeHouse Explorer

SafeHouse Explorer makes your secret files invisible and hides them from snoopers, intruders and anyone else who doesn’t have your permission to view them.

SafeHouse Explorer uses passwords and maximum-strength 256-bit advanced encryption to completely hide and defend your sensitive files, including photos, videos, spreadsheets, databases and just about any other kind of file that you might have.

This is a much better tool for everyone as it provides encryption to your data making it a hard nut to crack by anyone including hackers. The interface is just like windows Explorer and hence easy to use too.

4. Hide Folders

Hide Folders is robust and powerful Windows application for hiding folders with private data. Hidden folders can not be accessed, viewed, searched or deleted. Other users will not be aware of their existence. There is no limits on number of folders to hide or on the file types, names, extensions or characters.

Features :

  • Securely hide folders with your confidential data
  • Works on Windows XP and Windows Vista, supports NTFS, FAT32 and FAT file system.
  • Password protection – folders can be unhid only after entering a password within the program.
  • Hidden folders can not be uncovered by deinstalling the program.
  • Unlimited number of folders can be hidden.
  • Folders are hidden even in Windows safe mode.

Even though it does not provide encryption for securing your data, it is a great tool to have if you have sensitive or personal data on your system.