Advanced File Security

Advanced File Security Basic is an easy-to-use program that lets users encrypt files and folders using the Advanced Encryption Standard. It's not the most elegant thing we've ever seen, but it does make the encryption process simple enough for anyone to navigate.

The program's interface is a little strange, with buttons down the side representing its major functions and a menu bar across that duplicates much of the same stuff. The bulk of the interface is actually an ad for the Pro version of the software. It's not hard to figure out what to do--the buttons are fairly representative and have mouse-over tool tips--but a lot of space is wasted in the interface. The built-in Help file is adequate but a bit sparse. Actually using the program is quite simple: users select the file or files they want to encrypt, choose a password, and the program does the rest. Users can optionally e-mail the files after encryption, shut down the PC after encryption, or run the encryption as a background task. We liked that the program showed us the bits in the password key length, ensuring that we chose a password of an appropriate length. Once encrypted, files can easily be decrypted by opening them within the program and entering the password. Overall, we found the software very easy to use, and we think it's a good choice for users who need a basic encryption program.

Advanced File Security Basic is free. It installs and uninstalls without issues. We recommend it to all users.