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What is SecurStar?
SecurStar is a German encryption-software vendor whose product line covers full-disk and container encryption, encrypted cloud/server storage, anonymous web access, and encrypted phone calls. The site frames the company around real-time hard-disk encryption for individuals and organizations, and cites a user base in the millions across its products.
What the product range covers
- DriveCrypt — encrypts containers, partitions and external drives, and can hide data inside fake disks or audio files. The site describes 1344-bit encryption.
- DriveCrypt Plus Pack — full disk encryption, including the operating system, with an emergency password that boots a decoy hidden OS. Uses 256-bit AES.
- ShareCrypt — encrypts files on a server or in the cloud so several users can work with the encrypted data at once; administrators can back data up without reading it.
- SurfSolo VPN — anonymous browsing, IP address masking, an anonymous email account, and access to region-restricted sites; works with SSL and P2P traffic.
- PhoneCrypt — voice, chat and data encryption for iPhone, Android, Windows and PBX systems; one edition is aimed at calls where only one side runs encryption.
Who it suits
The split is fairly clear. DriveCrypt and DriveCrypt Plus Pack fit people who want protection tied to a specific machine or disk — a laptop that travels, a workstation holding client files, an external backup drive. DriveCrypt Plus Pack's hidden-OS feature addresses the coercion scenario: someone forced to unlock a machine can open a decoy system instead. ShareCrypt targets teams that store files on a server or with a cloud provider and want the provider kept out of the plaintext. SurfSolo and PhoneCrypt are for users whose concern is network-level anonymity or call interception rather than data at rest.
Practical considerations
Licences are sold per product, and the listed prices range widely — from roughly €50 for DriveCrypt to €499 for PhoneCrypt Professional — so the choice is really about which threat you are addressing, not about picking a bundle. Full-disk encryption is the heavier commitment: it affects boot, recovery and disk maintenance, and a lost recovery credential can mean permanent data loss. Container encryption is less invasive and easier to trial first. For phone encryption, both parties usually need compatible software, which is why the one-sided option exists.
If you are evaluating it for a single laptop, start with a container-encryption trial before committing to full-disk encryption, and test the recovery path deliberately — reboot, simulate a forgotten password, confirm you can still reach your data.
How does DriveCrypt Plus Pack full disk encryption compare to DriveCrypt container encryption for protecting a laptop?
DriveCrypt Plus Pack (DCPP) is the better fit for protecting a whole laptop, because it encrypts the entire hard disk, including the operating system. DriveCrypt is aimed at encrypting containers, partitions and external devices, so it protects selected data rather than the machine as a whole.
The practical difference
With DCPP, everything on the disk is encrypted, so a stolen or lost laptop does not expose the operating system, user accounts, temporary files or application data that happen to sit outside a container. A pre-boot password is required to start the machine, and SecurStar lists an emergency password that can launch a prepared hidden operating system instead — useful if someone is forced to unlock the laptop under pressure.
With DriveCrypt, you decide what goes into an encrypted container or partition. That suits a user who mainly wants to protect a defined set of files, or who wants encrypted volumes on external drives and USB sticks. The trade-off is discipline: anything saved outside the container — downloads, browser caches, email stores, backups — stays unprotected.
| Consideration | DriveCrypt Plus Pack | DriveCrypt |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Full disk, including OS | Containers, partitions, external devices |
| Protects data outside a chosen folder | Yes | No |
| Pre-boot authentication | Yes | Not applicable |
| Plausible deniability option | Hidden/prepared operating system via emergency password | Hidden data in fake disks or music |
| Best for | Laptops that leave a secure location | Selected files and removable media |
Choosing between them
Pick DCPP if the laptop itself is the asset at risk — business travel, field work, a machine holding client records. Pick DriveCrypt if you need encrypted volumes you can move between machines, or if you want a smaller, more targeted footprint.
A common middle path: use DCPP on the laptop and DriveCrypt containers on external backup drives, so backups are encrypted too. Whichever you choose, test recovery before relying on it — confirm the rescue or recovery process works, and store the password or recovery material separately from the laptop. SecurStar's own product pages list the current versions and pricing.
For background on full disk encryption concepts, see Wikipedia.
Can ShareCrypt let cloud storage admins back up encrypted files without being able to read them?
Yes. According to the product description on SecurStar's site, ShareCrypt is designed so that administrators can back up data but not read it. That is the core claim: encryption stays under the customer's control, while the cloud or server provider—and even an internal admin with storage access—can move, copy or archive the encrypted files without holding the keys needed to decrypt them. For more detail, see SecurStar.
What that means in practice
- Backups keep working. A backup tool copies ciphertext, so it does not need to understand the contents. Restores should return usable encrypted files as long as the authorised user still has the correct key or credentials.
- Admins are separated from content. Someone with server or cloud console access can manage storage, retention and recovery without being able to open documents.
- Multiple users can share the same encrypted data. SecurStar describes simultaneous use of encrypted data by different users, which suggests a shared-key or group-access model rather than one person's private vault.
- The cloud provider is not trusted with plaintext. Files remain encrypted at rest in the provider's storage, which addresses the scenario where a provider account or storage bucket is compromised.
Where the trade-off appears
The admin can back up the ciphertext, but cannot help a user who loses their key. Recovery then depends on whatever key-escrow or recovery design the organisation sets up separately. Also, "cannot read" applies to stored files; it does not automatically cover metadata such as file names, sizes, timestamps or folder structure, which may still be visible to the storage layer.
A practical test before rolling this out: have an admin account copy an encrypted file to a different location, restore it, and confirm that only an authorised user—not the admin—can open it. That single exercise tells you whether the separation of duties works as intended in your environment.
How does SurfSolo VPN hide my IP address and enable anonymous internet surfing?
SurfSolo VPN is SecurStar's anonymity product: it routes your internet traffic through a VPN server so that websites, services and other parties see the VPN server's address rather than your own. That is the core of how it hides your IP address. It also includes an anonymous email account, and SecurStar says it can bypass country-specific access restrictions and works with protocols including SSL and P2P file sharing (SecurStar).
What "anonymous" actually covers
- IP address: Masked from the sites and services you visit, because they see the VPN endpoint instead of your home or mobile IP.
- Access restrictions: Because your apparent location changes, sites that block certain countries may become reachable — useful when a video or news site is geo-blocked where you are.
- Email identity: An anonymous mailbox is bundled in, so you can register for services without handing over your everyday address.
- Traffic content: A VPN protects the connection between your device and the VPN server; it does not make you invisible to the sites you log into, and it does not stop tracking through accounts, cookies or browser fingerprinting.
Who benefits most
A practical case: a journalist or researcher in a country that blocks a news site, or a traveller who wants to watch a home-country streaming service and keep their home IP out of the picture. For those users, the combination of a changed IP, an anonymous email account and P2P support is the relevant feature set. Someone whose main worry is a stolen laptop should look instead at disk encryption such as DriveCrypt or DriveCrypt Plus Pack, which address a different threat.
Trade-offs to weigh
- Speed and latency: Traffic takes a detour through the VPN server, so expect some slowdown; P2P use makes this more noticeable.
- Trust in the provider: A VPN sees your traffic and knows your real IP, so the anonymity you get depends on the operator's logging and jurisdiction. SecurStar does not state a no-logs policy in the material shown, so treat that as an open question.
- Scope: Hiding your IP does not anonymise a logged-in account. If you sign into a social network, that account still identifies you regardless of the VPN.
Next step
Before buying, decide which problem you are solving: hiding your IP and location, encrypting files, or securing calls. For the first, SurfSolo VPN is the relevant product; for full-disk protection, DriveCrypt Plus Pack is the match. Then check the current feature list and terms directly on the product page, since VPN capabilities and policies change over time.
What do I need to make encrypted PhoneCrypt calls if the person I'm calling doesn't have the software?
For a PhoneCrypt call where the other person has no SecurStar software, you need the PhoneCrypt Universal variant, not PhoneCrypt Professional. SecurStar's own product list describes PhoneCrypt Universal as securing calls "even if ONLY ONE SIDE uses encryption," which is exactly your scenario. PhoneCrypt Professional, by contrast, is positioned as a full secure-communications suite for voice, chat and data across iPhone/Android, Windows and PBX systems — that is the version you and the other party would both normally need.
What that means in practice
- Your side: install and configure PhoneCrypt Universal, and you are the only participant who needs a licence.
- Their side: they keep using an ordinary phone. Nothing to install, no account to create, no app to explain over the phone.
- Call setup: because the other end is not running encryption software, the call is typically bridged through SecurStar's infrastructure rather than negotiated directly between two apps. That is what makes one-sided encryption possible, and it is also the main trade-off — your provider is in the path of the call.
- Practical extras: the product listing also mentions an anonymous, untraceable telephone number and worldwide use without roaming, which matter if you are calling across borders or do not want your real number exposed.
How to decide
Choose PhoneCrypt Universal if your regular contacts are non-technical, use landlines or PBX extensions, or simply will not install anything. Choose PhoneCrypt Professional if both ends can run the software and you also want encrypted chat, picture and data transfer in the same tool. If your priority is hiding your identity rather than encrypting a specific call, note that SurfSolo is SecurStar's separate anonymous-surfing product.
Before buying, confirm two things with SecurStar support: which platforms PhoneCrypt Universal runs on for the calling side, and how calls are routed when the recipient is on a plain mobile or landline. Those two answers determine whether it fits your everyday calling pattern.
Which SecurStar product should I choose to encrypt files stored in the cloud or on a company server?
For files stored on a company server or in cloud storage, the SecurStar product to choose is ShareCrypt. Its stated purpose is encrypting information on a server or in the cloud while letting several users work with the same encrypted data at once. That multi-user angle is what separates it from the disk-encryption products on the same page.
Why ShareCrypt fits this job
- It targets shared storage rather than a single machine, so the encrypted data stays protected at rest on the server or with the cloud provider.
- Several people can use the encrypted data simultaneously, which matches normal team workflows instead of forcing one owner to decrypt and re-share.
- Administrators can back the data up without being able to read it, according to the product description — useful where IT staff need operational access but not content access.
- The stated aim is to keep control of the encryption so data cannot be intercepted or read by hackers or the cloud provider.
How it compares with the alternatives on the same page
| Product | Best suited to | Why it is a weaker fit here |
|---|---|---|
| ShareCrypt | Files on servers and cloud storage used by multiple people | — |
| DriveCrypt | Containers, partitions and external devices | Aimed at local volumes and hidden/fake disks, not shared server or cloud files |
| DriveCrypt Plus Pack | Full disk encryption including the operating system | Protects a whole machine, not individual files in shared storage |
| SurfSolo VPN | Anonymous browsing and IP masking | Privacy tool, not file encryption for stored data |
| PhoneCrypt | Voice, chat and mobile data | Communications encryption, not stored-file protection |
A practical next step
Before committing, map your actual workflow: who creates the files, who else must read them, whether IT needs to back them up, and whether the cloud provider should ever hold the keys. ShareCrypt is described as covering exactly those points, so it is the sensible starting point. If your real problem is instead a stolen laptop or a whole disk being copied, the DriveCrypt line addresses that different threat; if it is interception of calls, PhoneCrypt does. Decide which of those three scenarios you actually face, then pick the matching product rather than stacking several.
For background on the vendor and its other tools, see SecurStar.
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