Does anyone here know about or use encryption software?

[sk8ergirlloves]

I am kinda paranoid about someone taking my laptop, and putting all my data over the internet, or taking my identity and ripping me off. A friend told me I should try data encryption, but she has never used it herself, has just heard of it, so I am leery. I found this PC Mag review of Datalock:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371748,00.asp
So I am just hoping for some feedback...

They got a 60 day free trial, is it worth trying (I hate trials that don’t do anything)?

http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/cdn/2010/search/datalock.htm

[anon]

TrueCrypt is free.

[Expeto]

I am kinda paranoid about someone taking my laptop, and putting all my data over the internet, or taking my identity and ripping me off
In other words you value your privacy. That is not paranoid thinking, our privacy is under heavy attack from various angles and average computer users are getting dumber and ignorant about privacy. Protecting your privacy online is quite a challenge, but luckily offline protection is easier.

You need a full hdd encryption, truecrypt is strong program thats capable of such encryption. As anon-sbi said, it is a free(FOSS). But you need to be smart about what you are doing and understand the protection hdd encryption offers. For example if your PC happens to be open or at standby when stolen, HDD encryptions will be worthless. Setting something shutdown when idle is nice idea.

As I said this is just an offline solution, and most of the identity thefts happens online.

[tucan]

I use truecrypt and its very very good i recommend it

[GreenTea]

+1 for TrueCrypt.
At work, we use PointSec, but I can't seem to find any installers around,
which locks our laptops Just before the OS boots up. :D
So there are 2 logins we have to do: (1) PointSec, (2) OS