LockMagic for Windows

Using your e-mail address and password makes remembering your security log-in for this encryption app easy. The tool also makes it easy to share encrypted files with other users through their e-mail accounts. However, using that e-mail information may make some users shy away from this app. Although simplicity is a good thing, simplicity paired with security doesn't always lead a user to be confident about the strength of the alleged security that's being promoted.

LockMagic launches its Web site at installation. From there, you open your free account and access its online users' manual by entering your Internet e-mail address and password. Although the Web page says, "This site does not read nor write your contacts information and uses this information for the sole purpose to determine your e-mail address," some security-conscious users may not be comfortable accessing an encryption service by providing that info, no matter what its Web site states.

This free tool worked very well in our tests, launching a small, user-friendly dialog box when we right-clicked on a filename from Windows Explorer. It was a quick process to configure a secure work space and files were automatically encrypted when they were saved to that area. We liked that using our e-mail address made accessing encryption processes so easy; on the other hand, we also were a little wary of that method, because e-mail accounts are notorious for being spammed and hacked. However, LockMagic's methods made encrypting files, securing them to flash drives and other mobile devices, and e-mailing them to other users a very simple matter. We also liked that we could use the right-click menu to encrypt a file and save it to a folder, store it in the clipboard, e-mail it to another user, or save it to the automatically encrypting LockMagic workspace.

If you're comfortable using your e-mail log-in information, this encryption tool works quickly and is simple to use. Recommended for intermediate users and above.