The principles behind DESlock+ aren't difficult to grasp. The package includes a Windows application that lets you protect sensitive data by encrypting it, using either the popular 3DES (Triple DES) algorithm, the even more secure AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) technology or Blowfish, a block cipher developed by Bruce Schneier. Multiple keys can be employed and keys copied about and shared with the end result being the ability to encrypt sensitive files, making them totally unreadable to anyone else without the matching key file or USB token to unscramble them again.

DESlock+ is also very straightforward to use, at least once you've got the software configured and you're used to what's involved. Unfortunately getting to this happy state takes a fair amount of work and is far from easy. Not because the package is particularly difficult to configure - it isn't - but because you have to master lots of individual tools along the way and, as with so many security products these are shrouded in jargon. Moreover, although there's plenty of supporting documentation, it's a far from light read.

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It all seems deceptively easy to begin with. The DESlock+ package is designed to work with Windows 98 or above and is installed like any other Windows application with a wizard to take you through the steps then required to get it working. This involves creating one or more sets of encryption keys and storing them either in encrypted key files or special DESkey USB tokens (shown in the photograph). Two of these were included in the hardware pack we tried, with one designed to be used as a backup for the other, for which a separate wizard is also provided.

Unfortunately it doesn't end there, with another wizard to transfer keys about, yet another to generate and store new keys and a control panel utility to configure the way the software looks and behaves. The core application also needs to be activated every time you logon which effectively means choosing the key files or tokens to use for that session.

It's all very long-winded and we were two thirds of the way through the very thick manual before we got to encrypt anything. At which point you've yet more options to choose from, starting with direct folder and file encryption. Another is encryption of locally cached offline network folders and yet another, encrypted archiving. Plus, with Windows 2000 or later, you can mount a special encrypted file as though it were an ordinary Windows volume with files automatically encrypted as they're dragged back and forth.

Plug-ins for Outlook and Lotus Notes are also provided to encrypt both messages and e-mail attachments, although you can't then use Word as your Outlook editor and the software doesn't support Outlook Express. There's also a shredder to securely delete files and, for users with DESkeys, a scratchpad that can be used to securely store things like passwords, pin numbers and other confidential information.

The sheer number of options is impressive and it can be mastered. It also works and it could be worth the effort, particularly in companies with technical staff with the time and skills to configure the software for end user deployment. However, despite the availability of a free, software-only personal version, DESlock+ needs to be made much, much simpler if it's really going to succeed.

This is a good idea and good value if you're paranoid about data security but, like a lot of security products, DESlock+ is far too complicated for its own good. It could be of interest to companies with mobile users and technical staff prepared to configure and support it, but it's not one for the masses.