In this assignment you are to investigate solutions to maintaining the confidentiality of files. You are to survey the  software (freeware, shareware and products) on the WEB that will allow a user to encrypt the contents of a file.  You should investigate solutions that involve secret key technology, as opposed to public key technology.

Present your findings of three software packages, include such information as:

• program functionality
• encryption algorithm used
• level of security obtained
• ease of use
• efficiency (you should measure the time it takes to encrypt a large file, if the program allows different size keys take measurements for a few different size keys)
• cost
• suitability of export (you should do a little research on the WEB to determine the rules regarding exporting encryption technology outside the U.S.,   state these rules and determine if the product you are reviewing can be exported)

Also,  investigate how to maintain the confidentiality of files once they have been deleted. You might think that once a file has been deleted its contents cannot be recovered. Even if the space previously occupied by a file has been overwritten by another file the original file can usually be recovered.  Investigate the current state of file recovery technology, as well as tools currently available for the "consumer" to ensure that files which are deleted cannot be recovered.