mcrypt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

mcrypt is a replacement for the popular UNIX crypt command. The crypt was a file encryption tool that was using an algorithm very close to the World War II enigma cipher, which was broken. Mcrypt provides the same functionality but uses several modern algorithms such as AES. Libmcrypt, Mcrypt's companion, is a library of code which contains the actual encryption functions and provides an easy method for use.

Examples of mcrypt usage in a linux command line environment:

mcrypt --list                        /* see available encryption algorithms           */
mcrypt -a blowfish myfilename        /* encrypts myfilename to myfilename.nc          */
                                     /* using blowfish encryption algorithm           */
                                     /* you are prompted 2x for passphrase            */
mcrypt -d mytextfile.txt.nc          /* decrypts mytextfile.txt.nc to mytextfile.txt  */
mcrypt --help

It implements numerous cryptographic algorithms, mostly block ciphers and stream ciphers, some of which falls under export restrictions in the United States. Algorithms include des, blowfish, arcfour, enigma, ghost, loki97, rc2, serpent, threeway, twofish, wake, xtea