Folder Lock is a fast file-security software that can password-protect, lock, hide and encrypt any number of files, folders, drives, pictures and documents in seconds. Protected files are hidden, undeletable, inaccessible and highly secure, it hides files from kids, friends and co-workers, and safeguards them from viruses, trojans, worms and spyware, even protects them from networked PCs or cable users and hackers.

Files can also be protected on USB Flash Drives, Memory Sticks, CD-RW, floppies and notebooks. Protection works even if files are taken from one PC to another on a removable disk, without the need to install any software. It locks files in Windows, DOS and even Safe Modes. Additional Options include Stealth Mode, Hacker Attempt Monitoring, Shred files, AutoLock, Auto Shutdown PC, Lock your PC, Erase PC tracks, 256-bit Blowfish Encryption and Context Menu in Explorer.

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If you're worried about security on your VPN network, then OpenVPN is a fully-featured SSL VPN solution which can accommodate a wide range of configurations, including remote access, site-to-site VPNs, WiFi security, and enterprise size solutions.

The focus of this program is security. OpenVPN provides many options for controlling the security of the VPN client but it also provides options for protecting the security of the server itself. The big advantage is that it's a cross-platform app so it doesn't what matter which type of computer the users are using and it offers excellent stability and scalability for hundreds or even thousands of clients. Installation is also simple and it supports both dynamic IP addresses and NAT. The developers claim that they have worked hard to make it responsive in terms of both normal operation and error recovery. What I liked most is that if it drops the connection, within 5 minutes it will reconnect although this is rather too long for my liking. If you could reduce this to just a few seconds, it would be much more useful as no one wants to hang around 5 minutes for their VPN to connect again.

A simple and secure client that offers users across all platforms a free and powerful VPN solution.

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AirSnare is another tool to add to your Wireless Intrusion Detection Toolbox. AirSnare will alert you to unfriendly MAC addresses on your network and will also alert you to DHCP requests taking place. If AirSnare detects an unfriendly MAC address you have the option of tracking the MAC address's access to IP addresses and ports or by launching Ethereal upon a detection.

Download AirSnare 1.5 in Softonic

If you're worried about unauthorised access of your files but regularly share a PC, then one of the best ways to protect yourself is by encrypting your folders.

This might be a laborious and time consuming process if you've got lots of data to protect - as encryption can frequently take time - but it doesn't have to be too painful with Kaka Folder Protection. The program is fast and straightforward and once installed, you'll notice a "lockdir.exe" in your folders. Double click on this to run the program and it instantly asks you for a password to encrypt the folder. You can choose to encrypt either the current folder or an alternative folder of your choosing. The program would have been better if it installed itself directly into Windows Explorer shell and required a right click to activate but it's really no big drawback to double-click the .exe.

The developers claim that the program uses strong encryption technology although it doesn't reveal exactly what this is. This may cause some concern for those who are worried about the strength of the encryption. Once encrypted however, the good thing is that the folders are protected against illegal copying, deletion or adding extra files to. The program also adds a padlock symbol to protected folders so that users can immediately see what is protected and what isn't it - which is OK unless you're trying to protect files discreetly.

A simple and easy to use program that doesn't reveal what kind of encryption it uses but should be enough for most home users.

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Effective security on computers can save a computer user thousands of dollars every year. This stealth-monitoring utility provides the PCs equivalent of the security camera (and much more), increasing security dramatically, whilst causing no disruption to working practices or draining network resources.

Flexible network functions allow you to send and receive reports via the Internet or the corporate LAN. STARR PRO also contains advanced setup and reporting functions and is prepared for remote deployment inside the local network. STARR PRO is employed frequently by small businesses, "Fortune 500" companies, public sector institutions (universities, libraries and schools) and the military alike. STARR PRO is also popular for many special tasks like usability testing or scientific studies of PC usage.

STARR is based on real world experience: It creates one HTML-File that contains everything that you choose to log (keystrokes, used applications, visited websites, chat transcripts,...).The HTML file is fully searchable for specific keywords (e. g. "xxx") and thus makes the evaluation of the log file a snap! The compact, single log file is also ideally suited for archiving the results to satisfy legal requirements.

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If you're ever worried about what's happening with your PC when you're not around then this is an ingenious solution.

If you've got a USB stick, dod you know you can use it for more than just portable storage? You can in fact use it to block people accessing your PC by installing USB PC Lock Pro and inserting it into any available USB port - nothing more. Once plugged in, it blocks everything from keyboard access to MSN Messenger messages and audio of any kind - so no need to worry about any embarrassing noises whilst you are away from the PC. Once installed on the stick, the upper part of the screen shows the main features such as the Presence and Security Status. Below this are a number of "Plugins" which you can enable separately depending on what you want blocked such as media player, messenger etc. Once set, the program sits in the system tray discreetly so that no one even knows its running.

If you're worried about leaving your PC for long periods of time and have a USB stick, this is an effective and simple solution although obviously, anyone who knows what it is can simply take it out and access whatever they want to.

Download USB PC Lock Pro 1.6 in Softonic

Anti-Porn parental controls can filter out adult websites (block porn), which contain objects unsuitable for children, and even filters out chat when offensive language is used. Anti-Porn software can automatically filter out tens of thousands of porn websites and you can also easily add in the websites which you don't want children to see. With Anti-Porn you can also filter out internet material by blocking particular key words.

Anti-Porn parental control software can supply the globe standard time, you can set the program to let your kids use internet at certain times on specific days. Anti-Porn keeps a complete log of all websites visited, filtered out or not, and keeps track of all material viewed on the computer, including files, images, music, and so on. You can have the inventory of your kid's computer history.

On the other hand adults, with the password, can surf the internet without restrictions.

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PC Locker Pro is a program that locks and protects your computer when you leave. It is a powerful, easy to use tool allowing you to lock you computer by clicking just one button in the system tray or using a custom hotkey. Then PC Locker Pro will display a lock screen and protected your computer. The windows hotkey and mouse will be disabled. You only need to enter the password to unlock the computer. PC Locker Pro will lock the computer after incorrect shutdown.

Download PC Locker Pro 1.2 in Softonic

USB LOCK AP has a simple, and straightforward interface that has been designed taking careful consideration to its effectiveness, and usability.

USB LOCK AP is the tool of choice if you need to prevent information loss due to the unauthorized use of USB storage removable drives, CD-RWs, or floppy disks, without blocking other USB devices like printers, mouse, cameras, etc...

It is suitable for either Home or business use. Its anti-hack security works as a Windows Service at Local System level allowing the program to effectively run even on computers with no privileges.

USB LOCK AP allows the user to authorize or restrict, at his or her convenience, the use of USB storage removable drives, All CD ROM/CD-RW drives, and Floppy Disk drives, from its simple, password protected interface.

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It often happens that we have to hide files or folders, especially when working on a shared computer. The most effective way to do it is by using a specific program.

Free Hide Folder is a free application that lets you select a list of folders you would like to keep protected. By clicking the Hide button in the main menu, all the selected folders will magically disappear on your computer. In order to have access to them you will have to pass through the program which has a pre-selected password to enter.

It's all very easy to use and actually effective if you have sensitive files to protect, but I have little issues on the usability side. It's not possible in fact to hide a folder just from the right-click menu; you will always have to pass through the Add function of the program. Again, if you want to see a folder that has been previously hidden, a double click on it in the program's window is not enough; you will have to select the right button in the right-click menu of the application.

The program installs icons in the Start menu, letting other users know you are hiding something, so maybe a combination of keys to launch the application would have been more effective. I suppose you can always delete the Start menu link but then you will not have direct access to your folders.

Free Hide Folder is a useful free tool to protect and hide sensitive folders on your computer. Some usability issues may render slightly annoying using it, but they don't affect its efficiency.

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Folder Latch allows you to lock or unlock private information in folders, providing you with an easy and effective way to protect sensitive data. It does not require installation and integrates seamlessly with Windows Explorer, working also from files context menu.

The locking process is fast and easy: select the folder you want to protect and assign a password to it. To unlock, just reverse the steps. Please remember to use the password hint option. Otherwise, if you lose or forget the password, you won't be able to access your protected folders.

Download Folder Latch 3.0.0.2 in Softonic

Being the boss may sound great: a well considered job position with a large income. But being a boss also involves less enjoyable tasks, such as monitoring your employees.

Fortunately there are software apps like Activity Monitor which make this unpleasant task much easier for you. With Activity Monitor you can fully control what your employees, kids or whoever needs to be monitored do with their computer.

Activity Monitor watches over everything, from visited webpages to active applications, including any text typed into any window. You can even see the remote computer's screen in real time, run applications, open webpages and send messages to it.

Activity Monitor needs a client app to be installed on the computer you want to control, so make sure you do that when nobody's watching. After that, the client app runs unnoticed in the background.

Activity Monitor is certainly one of the most complete monitoring applications I've ever seen. Its wide array of features and ease of use make it a great choice for your monitoring needs.

If you'd like to control what other people (employees, young kids) do with the computer when you're not around, Activity Monitor features anything you need.

Download Activity Monitor 4.3 in Softonic

With more of us keeping sensitive data on our computers than ever before, the need to protect your data from the eyes of unwanted intruders is greater than ever. Of course, there are plenty of applications that allow you to encrypt your private data, but many of them come at a high price. Folder Vault is a relatively cheap alternative that blocks access to files, folders and archives through an interesting interface, which is completely styled around the theme of locking and protection.

Once installed, the program create a default protected folder called Folder Vault, to which any file on your PC can be added. One of the neat features of the software is that it can be run in Stealth mode, to avoid being detected and attacked. There are plenty of cool options locked within the app, such as the ability to auto-shutdown your machine after a designated number of failed password attempts. Handily the program includes a feature whereby once you enter a password, all of the files and folders within your protected folder become unblocked, saving you a lot of time.

I found the program was great for blocking files thanks to its powerful encryption algorithms. However, I was a little disappointed with the Hack Prevention and Automation modes, as these did not seem to work at all when I tried them.

Download Folder Vault 2.0.0.46 in Softonic

We've all been in that horrible scenario where an essential file has seemingly disappeared into thin air - either via accidental deletion or malware which has invaded your system.

First thing's first - this is no substitute for an anti-virus checker but it does offer you extra protection against the worst case scenarios in file deletion. It's mainly aimed at those that want to protect their files from kids or another unauthorised users that may purposely or accidentally delete files. Of course, if you are using Windows, I suggest the best way to do this is is to create an entirely new user profile for each person but if this is not possible, then this is an excellent alternative.

System Protect allows you to pick those files and folders that you want to protect such as important documents, your favorite music, vacation photos, movies etc. It's best used as an extension to your currently existing security suite. to keep your system stable and get automatic deletion alerts - a virus checker may inform you of a virus attack but it won't tell you whether the target is going to be deleted - System Protect will.

If you don't have much faith in your antivirus software or are worried about other users on your PC, then this is an excellent solution.

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Sharing a PC is never a good idea if you've got sensitive or confidential information that you don't want strangers, or even loved ones, to access.

My favourite way to protect myself is simply to create another profile for other users on my system but this is not always possible if Windows isn't working properly. In which case, one good option is to lock those files and folders that you don't want accessed by prying eyes. System Vault simply can't hide files and folders but it can require users to enter a password before accessing them. It also allows you to remove common files or folders that are accessed from your MRU files on your PC so that anyone using your machine, can't see what you've just been looking at.

One word of warning though - if you install the program, uninstall it and then reinstall it again, your protected files are completely reset. This means that anyone that really wants to access your files merely has to uninstall the program so it's a good idea to use some kind of system protection system in addition to this program. However, the developers advise that to avoid losing your directories and files when re-installing the application in future you should export your list of paths and import them again on reinstallation.

A simple way to protect your files but be warned that it's not very secure any anyone who uninstalls it will have access to your files.

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Protect EXE offers a simple yet effective way of blocking access to any given application: it sets a password to the EXE file and asks for it every time you want to run the file.

It's certainly a good measure to prevent children from using a certain kind of programs or protecting sensible tools, but there's no way to filter restrictions so these will also be applied to you.

Also, be careful when choosing the password to protect the file: you'll need it to unlock the file sometime in the future and there's no way to recover it.

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With Win-Guard Pro you can password protect your programs, windows and web pages in one easy to use program. What's more, there is also encryption for your personal files and folders. It offers an all-in-one security solution for your computer with extra features to lock the desktop, boot keys, task keys, blocking software installations and internet access.

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myWIFIzone lets you decide who gets blocked from your WiFi network and who doesn't with a click of the mouse. So you can give "Uncle Bill" in Apartment 301 free access, while blocking "Freddy Freeloader" who lives on the second floor. You don't need to wade through tedious router logs or set up complicated firewalls. myWIFIzone gives you real-time alerts, event logging and intruder blocking right from your PC or laptop.

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Clean Slate, developed to protect public access computers from malicious or inexperienced users. While not restricting users’ activities, Clean Slate will scour drives back to their original state upon reboot or log off. Clean Slate takes only minutes to install and needs no attention, ever, for most installations. Clean Slate restores the computer to its original configuration discarding unwanted user changes: including erased files, installed software, downloaded spyware and adware, downloaded viruses and Trojan horses, and altered icons.

Without requiring any effort from the administrator, Clean Slate automatically accommodates Windows Critical Updates. No need for complicated scripting, scheduling of downtime, and leaving computers on overnight. It just works!

These Windows Critical Updates are vital to protect not only the computer being updated, but also other computers connected with this computer throughout the local network and beyond. Clean Slate makes it easy to be a responsible Internet citizen by keeping all of your computers updated with the latest security patches. Again it requires nothing of you but to install Clean Slate.

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Folder Guard is a powerful computer security software that you can use to control access to files, folders, and other Windows resources, such as Control Panel, Start Menu, and so on. You can use Folder Guard to lock your personal files and folders with passwords, to stop other users from peeking into your records.

You can even completely hide your private folders from virtually all applications, and such folders would remain invisible until you enter a valid password. You can also protect sensitive system files from modification or destruction, disable access to the removable drives, restrict access to the Control Panel, and more.

Download Folder Guard XP Edition 7.9 in Softonic