Although several external hard drives integrate hardware
password-protected encryption, these are rare compared to insecure
drives. If yours is an open drive, you can use a software encryption
program to prevent unauthorized users from accessing your data. If you
have Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise edition, you already have one such
program, called BitLocker Drive Encryption. Other Windows 7 editions
must rely on third-party software, such as the free and open-source
TrueCrypt program. Such open-source programs may seem less secure,
because the source code and encryption algorithm are available for
deconstruction, but in fact their security is strengthened by
