Free Download CipherShed: A Cross-Platform Encryption Tool Based on TrueCrypt
CipherShed Free Download: How to Encrypt Your Data with a Secure and Open Source Software
Do you want to keep your data private and secure from hackers, thieves, or prying eyes? Do you want to use a software that is free, open source, and compatible with different devices and platforms? If yes, then you should try CipherShed, a powerful encryption software that can create encrypted files or drives that only you can access. In this article, we will show you how to download, install, and use CipherShed to encrypt your data.
What is CipherShed and why you should use it
CipherShed is a program that can be used to create encrypted files or encrypt entire drives (including USB flash drives and external HDDs). It is based on TrueCrypt, a popular encryption software that was discontinued in 2014. However, CipherShed has improved on TrueCrypt by adding more security features and fixing some vulnerabilities. Here are some reasons why you should use CipherShed:
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CipherShed is a fork of TrueCrypt with enhanced security features
CipherShed is built on top of the famous and now abandoned TrueCrypt and it comes with a lot of things that TrueCrypt had. However, CipherShed also adds security to the algorithms used for system and partitions encryption. These improvements make it immune to new developments in brute-force attacks, according to developers. You can find a full list of improvements and corrections that CipherShed made on TrueCrypt here.
CipherShed is free, open source, and cross-platform
CipherShed is completely free and open source. You can download it from the official website or GitHub without paying anything. The source code is also available for anyone to view, examine, audit, or modify. The developers encourage everyone to contribute to the project by reporting bugs, suggesting features, or donating money. CipherShed is also cross-platform; it is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. However, as packages for OS X and Linux do not exist yet, users of those platforms will need to compile CipherShed.
CipherShed supports various encryption methods and plausible deniability
CipherShed allows you to choose from various encryption algorithms (such as AES, Serpent, Twofish) and hash algorithms (such as SHA-512, Whirlpool) for your volumes. You can also combine different algorithms for more security. For example, you can use AES-Twofish-Serpent as your encryption algorithm and SHA -512 as your hash algorithm. CipherShed also supports plausible deniability, which means that you can create hidden volumes within your encrypted volumes. A hidden volume is a volume that resides in the free space of another volume. It is impossible to prove that a hidden volume exists, unless you reveal the password. This way, you can protect your data even if you are forced to disclose your password.
How to download and install CipherShed on your device
Downloading and installing CipherShed is easy and straightforward. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Download the latest version of CipherShed from the official website or GitHub
The official website of CipherShed is https://ciphershed.org/. You can find the latest version of CipherShed for Windows on the download page. The current version is 0.7.4.0, which was released on February 14, 2016. You can also download the source code or the binaries from GitHub here. The file size is about 3 MB.
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Install CipherShed on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux
If you are using Windows, you can simply run the downloaded file and follow the instructions on the screen. You will need administrator privileges to install CipherShed. You can choose to install CipherShed for all users or only for yourself. You can also choose to create a desktop shortcut or a start menu entry for CipherShed. The installation process should take only a few minutes. If you are using Mac OS X or Linux, you will need to compile CipherShed from the source code. You can find the instructions on how to do that here.
Verify the integrity of the downloaded file with checksums or signatures
Before installing CipherShed, it is recommended that you verify the integrity of the downloaded file with checksums or signatures. This will ensure that the file has not been tampered with or corrupted during the download process. You can find the checksums and signatures for each version of CipherShed on the download page. You can use a tool like HashCalc or Gpg4win to verify the checksums or signatures.
How to create and use a CipherShed volume to encrypt your data
Once you have installed CipherShed on your device, you can start creating and using encrypted volumes to store your data. A CipherShed volume is a file that contains encrypted data. You can create two types of volumes: file-hosted volumes and partition/device-hosted volumes. A file-hosted volume is a normal file that can be stored anywhere on your device or on an external storage medium. A partition/device-hosted volume is a part of a hard disk or a USB flash drive that is encrypted. Here are the steps to create and use a file-hosted volume:
Launch the CipherShed Volume Creation Wizard and choose the type and location of the volume
To launch the CipherShed Volume Creation Wizard, you can either double-click on the CipherShed icon on your desktop or start menu, or right-click on any file or folder and select "CipherShed" > "Create Volume". The wizard will guide you through the process of creating a volume. The first step is to choose whether you want to create a file-hosted volume or a partition/device-hosted volume. For this example, we will choose a file-hosted volume. The next step is to choose where you want to store your volume file. You can browse to any location on your device or on an external storage medium. You can also enter a name for your volume file. For example, we will create a volume file named "secret.csh" on our desktop.
Choose the encryption and hash algorithms and set a strong password
The next step is to choose the encryption and hash algorithms for your volume. As mentioned before, you can choose from various options, such as AES, Serpent, Twofish, SHA-512, Whirlpool, etc. You can also combine different algorithms for more security. For example, we will choose AES-Twofish-Serpent as our encryption algorithm and SHA-512 as our hash algorithm. The next step is to set a password for your volume. This password will be required to mount and access your volume later. It is very important that you choose a strong password that is long, complex, and random. Do not use any personal information, common words, or patterns as your password. You can use a tool like Password Generator to create a strong password. For example, we will use "4!7@wQ2%9#hZ8&nX3$" as our password. Do not forget your password, as there is no way to recover it if you lose it.
Format the volume and mount it through CipherShed
The next step is to format the volume with the chosen encryption and hash algorithms. You will also need to specify the size of the volume. The size of the volume depends on how much data you want to store in it. You can also choose whether you want to create a standard volume or a hidden volume. A hidden volume is a volume that resides in the free space of another volume. It is impossible to prove that a hidden volume exists, unless you reveal the password. This way, you can protect your data even if you are forced to disclose your password. For this example, we will create a standard volume of 100 MB. The formatting process may take some time, depending on the size and speed of your device. After the formatting is done, you can mount the volume through CipherShed. To do that, you need to launch CipherShed and select an available drive letter from the list. Then, click on "Select File" and browse to the location of your volume file. For example, we will select "Z:" as our drive letter and browse to our desktop where our "secret.csh" file is located. Then, click on "Mount" and enter your password. If the password is correct, the volume will be mounted as a virtual drive and you will see it in your file explorer.
Copy or move your data to the mounted volume and unmount it when done
Now that you have mounted your volume, you can copy or move your data to it as if it were a normal drive. You can also create folders, rename files, delete files, etc. within the volume. However, remember that the size of the volume is fixed and you cannot store more data than its capacity. For example, we will copy some documents and photos to our mounted volume "Z:". When you are done with your data, you should unmount the volume through CipherShed. To do that, you need to launch CipherShed and select the drive letter of your mounted volume from the list. Then, click on "Dismount" and confirm your action. The volume will be unmounted and encrypted again. You can also unmount all volumes at once by clicking on "Dismount All". You should always unmount your volumes when you are not using them, as this will prevent anyone from accessing your data without your password.
How to access your encrypted data on different devices and platforms
One of the advantages of using CipherShed is that you can access your encrypted data on different devices and platforms, as long as you have CipherShed installed or run on them. Here are the steps to access your encrypted data on another device:
Copy or transfer your CipherShed volume file to another device or storage medium
The first step is to copy or transfer your CipherShed volume file to another device or storage medium where you want to access your data. You can use any method that suits you, such as USB flash drive, external HDD, cloud storage, email attachment, etc. However, make sure that you do not lose or damage your volume file during the transfer process. Also, make sure that you delete or wipe any traces of your volume file from the original device or storage medium after the transfer process.
Install or run CipherShed on the device where you want to access your data
The next step is to install or run CipherShed on the device where you want to access your data. If you are using Windows, you can either install CipherShed as explained before or run it as a portable application without installation. To run CipherShed as a portable application, you need to download the zip file from here and extract it to any location on your device or storage medium. Then, run the "CipherShed.exe" file from the extracted folder. If you are using Mac OS X or Linux, you will need to compile CipherShed from the source code as explained before.
Mount the volume with your password and access your data as usual
The final step is to mount the volume with your password and access your data as usual. To do that, you need to follow the same steps as explained before for mounting a file-hosted volume through CipherShed. You need to select an available drive letter from the list, click on "Select File" and browse to the location of your volume file, click on "Mount" and enter your password. If the password is correct, the volume will be mounted as a virtual drive and you will see it in your file explorer. You can then access your data as if it were a normal drive. When you are done with your data, you should unmount the volume through CipherShed as explained before.
Conclusion and FAQs
CipherShed is a reliable and easy-to-use encryption software that can protect your data from unauthorized access. It allows you to create encrypted files or drives that only you can access with your password. It is free, open source, and cross-platform. It supports various encryption methods and plausible deniability. It also enables you to access your encrypted data on different devices and platforms. If you want to download CipherShed and start encrypting your data, you can visit the official website here or GitHub here. If you have any questions or doubts about CipherShed, you can check the FAQs below or visit the official documentation here.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about CipherShed:
Question
Answer
Is CipherShed safe to use?
CipherShed is safe to use as long as you follow the best practices for encryption. These include choosing a strong password, verifying the integrity of the downloaded file, unmounting your volumes when not in use, deleting or wiping any traces of your volume file from the original device or storage medium, etc. You should also keep in mind that CipherShed is not a magic bullet that can protect your data from all threats. You should also use other security measures, such as antivirus software, firewall, VPN, etc.
Can I recover my data if I forget my password?
No, you cannot recover your data if you forget your password. CipherShed does not have any backdoor or recovery mechanism that can bypass the encryption. Therefore, it is very important that you remember your password or write it down somewhere safe. You can also use a password manager to store your passwords securely.
Can I resize my volume after creating it?
No, you cannot resize your volume after creating it. The size of the volume is fixed and cannot be changed. Therefore, you should choose a size that is suitable for your data needs. If you need more space, you can create another volume or delete some files from your existing volume.
Can I use CipherShed on my mobile device?
No, you cannot use CipherShed on your mobile device. CipherShed is currently only available for Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. However, you can still access your encrypted data on your mobile device if you have a compatible app that can mount CipherShed volumes. For example, you can use EDS Lite for Android or VeraCrypt Mounter for iOS.
How can I contribute to the CipherShed project?
You can contribute to the CipherShed project by reporting bugs, suggesting features, donating money, translating the software, writing documentation, or spreading the word. You can find more information on how to contribute here.