Xecrets Ez - File encryption made easier

[Xecrets]

Hi!

Xecrets Ez is an easy-to use software for local file encryption. In addition to macOS it also supports Windows and Linux. It's also 100% compatible with the well-known AxCrypt software, in fact it uses the same open source GPL code.

Check out https://www.axantum.com/ for downloads, documentation and all other details.

There's a completely free version which supports encryption and decryption of files with just a few clicks. All encryption is done with maximum strength AES-256.

A low-cost premium subscription gives you access to a number of convenience features such as easy viewing, editing and re-encryption, YubiKey hardware token support, secure erasing of files, randomly renaming of files to avoid file names giving away information, multiple user profiles and much more.

It has just the right features to protect your local or cloud service files from prying eyes, and many languages are supported in the user interface.

Although it's not visible for the user, it has an architecture where all the heavy lifting, i.e. encryption/decryption, is made by a GPL licensed open source command line available on github thus ensuring that the security is auditable and open. The command line can also be used by devops via scripts, as well as by .NET developers via an SDK. The user interface is developed with AvaloniaUI, a cross-platform framework for .NET .

It's very actively developed and is built on the latest .NET 8 framework and with current tooling. We strive to keep all dependencies current and updated frequently.

I'm Svante Seleborg, and I'm the original author of AxCrypt versions 1.x and 2.x, and now Xecrets Ez which is the successor to AxCrypt from Axantum Software which I represent. I am in no way affiliated with the company that currently markets and sells AxCrypt.

Hoping to get feedback and suggestions from the community to further improve the Xecrets family of software for macOS!

Svante Seleborg
Axantum Software AB

 

[Xecrets]

New version released! Updates since 2.3.646:

• Temporary trial license - Get an immediate trial, no credit card required.
• Go directly to add alternate password when decryption fails - Improved workflow.
• Include Encrypt To and Wipe in free version - More free features!

Home page: https://www.axantum.com/
Release notes: https://www.axantum.com/release-notes
Download: https://www.axantum.com/download-xecrets
About: https://www.axantum.com/xecrets-ez

(I am the author of Xecrets Ez, as well as the original author of AxCrypt with which I am no longer affiliated)

 

[Xecrets]

New version 2.3.723 released! Updates since 2.3.654:

• Add text string encryption
• Add "Suggest password"
• Add show/hide to password dialogs
• Add "Retry" button in the YubiKey Not Connected dialog
• Add password strength meter
• Add emergency password reset
• Add "Clear Recent Files"
• Save password used to share as additional decryption password
• Remember last password for encrypt copy to share
• Remove BouncyCastle dependency
• ...and much more!

Home page: https://www.axantum.com/
Release notes: https://www.axantum.com/release-notes
Download: https://www.axantum.com/download-xecrets
About: https://www.axantum.com/xecrets-ez

(I am the author of Xecrets Ez, as well as the original author of AxCrypt with which I am no longer affiliated)

 

[Xecrets]

Check out the very nice review Xecrets Ez got from PCMag https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/xecrets-ez-premium .

Home page: https://www.axantum.com/
Release notes: https://www.axantum.com/release-notes
Download: https://www.axantum.com/download-xecrets
About: https://www.axantum.com/xecrets-ez

(I am the author of Xecrets Ez, as well as the original author of AxCrypt with which I am no longer affiliated)

 

[MacBH928]

hello. If I use this app to encrypt a file, will it be the only app that can decrypt it? or does it use a standard that can be decrypted by other apps? do you have a table comparing it to veracrypt?

 

[Xecrets]

Hi!

Files encrypted with Xecrets Ez are decryptable by Xecrets Cli, a fully GPL open source command line available at https://github.com/xecrets/xecrets-cli . They are also decryptable by AxCrypt, with which it is 100% compatible and share part of the open source code base, the reverse is also true. Files encrypted by AxCrypt are decryptable by Xecrets. The file format is public and published, but I am unsure what other implementations there are. Unfortunately there are no real standards in file encryption, the closest perhaps being PGP/GPG but also there in practice it'll be the PGP/GPG application used as a backend as far as I am aware.

Yes, there is a comparison of alternatives, including VeraCrypt, here: https://www.axantum.com/comparison .

However, Xecrets and VeryCrypt are two quite different species of animal. VeraCrypt is a virtual drive container encryption application, meaning it creates a virtual drive, like X:\ on Windows for example. Everything you put there will be encrypted, but as a part of the whole virtual drive. This does not work well with cloud service synchronization of files, or other copies or movements of the files. As soon as a file exits the encrypted container, it's no longer encrypted. Xecrets on the other hand encrypts each file separately, and the file stays encrypted regardless of how you copy or move it.

There are advantages and disadvantages with both approaches, and we often recommend to at least combine Xecrets with full disk encryption like BitLocker (Windows), LUKS (Linux) or FileVault (macOS).

From a security standpoint Xecrets and VeraCrypt are comparable, although the choice of algorithms in VeraCrypt can be quite intimidating and confusing and some of the algorithms are not as well-researched or well-known as AES-256 which is the only choice available for Xecrets.

Svante

 

[MacBH928]

Hi!

Files encrypted with Xecrets Ez are decryptable by Xecrets Cli, a fully GPL open source command line available at https://github.com/xecrets/xecrets-cli . They are also decryptable by AxCrypt, with which it is 100% compatible and share part of the open source code base, the reverse is also true. Files encrypted by AxCrypt are decryptable by Xecrets. The file format is public and published, but I am unsure what other implementations there are. Unfortunately there are no real standards in file encryption, the closest perhaps being PGP/GPG but also there in practice it'll be the PGP/GPG application used as a backend as far as I am aware.

Yes, there is a comparison of alternatives, including VeraCrypt, here: https://www.axantum.com/comparison .

However, Xecrets and VeryCrypt are two quite different species of animal. VeraCrypt is a virtual drive container encryption application, meaning it creates a virtual drive, like X:\ on Windows for example. Everything you put there will be encrypted, but as a part of the whole virtual drive. This does not work well with cloud service synchronization of files, or other copies or movements of the files. As soon as a file exits the encrypted container, it's no longer encrypted. Xecrets on the other hand encrypts each file separately, and the file stays encrypted regardless of how you copy or move it.

There are advantages and disadvantages with both approaches, and we often recommend to at least combine Xecrets with full disk encryption like BitLocker (Windows), LUKS (Linux) or FileVault (macOS).

From a security standpoint Xecrets and VeraCrypt are comparable, although the choice of algorithms in VeraCrypt can be quite intimidating and confusing and some of the algorithms are not as well-researched or well-known as AES-256 which is the only choice available for Xecrets.

Svante

thanks. As users it very worrisome to encrypt a file and in the future you can not decrypt it because the app developer has ceased to exists or no longer supports the app making our encrypted files locked forever. There is specially true for long term storage.

 

[Xecrets]

thanks. As users it very worrisome to encrypt a file and in the future you can not decrypt it because the app developer has ceased to exists or no longer supports the app making our encrypted files locked forever. There is specially true for long term storage.

Indeed, I agree fully.

That's why Xecrets Ez doesn't need nor use any servers or anything that can be decommissioned or stop working, and why we have a simple pre-built command line binary and the two public repositories https://github.com/xecrets/xecrets-cli and https://github.com/axantum/xecrets-net which all that's needed, and a trivial build process.

No complicated extra steps needed to build. Just clone the repositories side-by-side, open the solution in either Visual Studio or VS Code and hit the "Build" button. Done.

There are other reasons for the command line of course, it's good architecture with strong separation of concerns, and it's extremely useful in it's own right.

So for very long term storage (25+ years) I think you're fairly safe, and completely independent of our continued operation.

 

[Xecrets]

New version 2.3.776 released! Updates since 2.3.723:

• Support canceling long operations
• Add re-encrypt files and folders
• Add forgot password link in sign in
• Enable compression for text encryption
• Various usability enhancements
• A number of bug fixes
• ...and much more, see the release notes!

Home page: https://www.axantum.com/
Release notes: https://www.axantum.com/release-notes
Download: https://www.axantum.com/download-xecrets
About: https://www.axantum.com/xecrets-ez

(I am the author of Xecrets Ez, as well as the original author of AxCrypt with which I am no longer affiliated)

 

[Xecrets]

New version 2.3.856 released! Updates since 2.3.776:

• Fix: Crash when accessibility features are enabled on Windows.
• Add option to automatically exit after inactivity.
• Support explicit setting of visual theme.
• Various internal maintenance changes.
• Updated dependencies.
• ...more details in the release notes!

Home page: https://www.axantum.com/
Release notes: https://www.axantum.com/release-notes
Download: https://www.axantum.com/download-xecrets
About: https://www.axantum.com/xecrets-ez

(I am the author of Xecrets Ez, as well as the original author of AxCrypt with which I am no longer affiliated)