Top Secret for Windows

Those looking for professional encryption software can skip this software equivalent of a cereal box secret decoder ring. Top Secret's tiny interface resembles someone's version of a spy program. It sports a grid over an all-black background with a small window that actually says "Secret Message," along with an image preview pane and a three buttons: Open Image, Store Message, and Read Message. With a Help file, inexperienced users discover the application through trial and error.

Operation turns out to be relatively simple. Pick an image with the Open Image button, then type and store your message. The message is pure ASCII with no formatting options. You'll be asked to enter a password twice and give your file a name. It's then saved in the original image format, .JPEG, .BMP, and so on. Top Secret doesn't come with test images, so you'll have to use your own. Reading a secret message requires opening the image through Top Secret and entering the password. The original text is then displayed in the Secret Message pane. This is a simple operation for a simple result.

The trial version marks the image with the publisher's URL and displays some or all of the password. To remove this watermark, you have to register the program. However, surfing the registration URL fails to reveal any information about Top Secret. Even if you could find a way to pay for this simplistic program, it just isn't worth it. We suggest you find a more professional encryption tool, whether you need to it for home or office use.