Paper versions of bank statements, tax returns, birth certificates and other sensitive documents may be safely squirreled away in a safe or locked deposit box, but if their digital counterparts may be just lying around on a hard drive, they’re much more vulnerable. McAfee Inc. branched out from its normal focus on protection from viruses and malware on Wednesday with a program to help users digitally lock up these files.
While this kind of protection has always been available to security-savvy computer users who understand encryption, McAfee Anti-Theft caters more toward casual users with a simplistic approach. Using the software, users can create password-protected “vaults” on a computer and store any file inside, from legal documents and banking information to embarrassing pictures and poetry. The files are protected with strong 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard technology, but Anti-Theft also provides a simple question-and-answer routine to retrieve lost passwords just in case.
McAfee Anti-Theft is available now for $29.99. It works on any hard drive or USB thumb drive, and will run alongside any existing virus protection software, from McAfee or otherwise.
