I used to keep some photos, family sensitive data in dvd and HDD.
I am worried the existing encryption apps might be discontinue and I cant open them open them with other encryptio apps.
What apps or encryption \decryption that still works in 10years later that can be open with any encryption apps. What format is the safest choice?
Thanks

noone can tell you what will work in 2030 (or later). You don't need to encrypt your files one by one, but the filesystem itself. And you can move to a different encryption later. And use a backup.

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In addition will the DVD still be readable after 20 years? Will the DVD drive work or would you be able to purchase a replacement that can read the disk? Will the HDD still work and can be connected to the current technology unless you constantly move data around? And if the later you would probably use the latest and greatest encryption apps anyway so that would not be a problem.

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If you have casual encryption needs, you could use the password feature of 7-zip or info-zip. The code is portable and for comparison, people can still run DOS archiver programs from over 40 years ago.

I am sorry to see that other forum users did not take your worries more seriously, and made assumptions about how you would handle your files and media.

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As long as the compression is supported. Probably that will be out of style next year....
Yes, you are right. Unfortunately some other users made assumptions about compression/encryption methods, which will be definitely improved in the future.

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BenCollver, I don't think so. Without more information one would have to consider saving baby pictures to a DVD putting them in a shoe box and then 15 years later finding them unusable. I implied that the OP might want to examine the physical material every few years and maybe create a new archive which if running a current distribution would have the current versions for encryption.

If you think about the enormous task the Library of Congress or the Smithsonian has in maintaining and archiving data for 100s of years and not just 20 you have to think way in advance.

DVD-R life span is only 10-20 years unless you want to spend the money for 100 year type. Mechanical things like HDDs or DVD players can break at any time. You never no what data format or hardware will be retired in the future. SDDs have a limited data life retention if not powered on a regular basis. Flash drives IMHO are not reliable enough for long term archives.

PKZIP has password protection but that is easily cracked now days. Encryption was not introduced till a latter version. But that is comparing apples to oranges to current archiving methods.

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Hardware changes occur constantly.
Encryption methods change constantly.
Software is constantly improved/obsoleted.
An encryption method that was peak technology 20 years ago probably is not even considered valid today. (8 or 16 bit encryption is very weak by today's standards which use 256 bit, 512 bit, or even higher)

If you are encrypting something today and want it still accessible far into the future you should consider a reasonable plan to refresh the storage and re-encrypt it on a regular basis, both for hardware and software improvements.

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I remember many years ago reading about a very special American computer which could read all manner of obsolete media and formats. I wonder if machines like that still exist.

As long as the media is readable the data is available. The question posed was about being able to decrypt it in the future.

I think it reasonable to expect that some old hardware and software would be available somewhere in some archive or hobbyist parts bin that could do the job. It probably would not be mainstream or easy to find though with that long of delay.

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The standards (as opposed to just a specification or, worse, undocumented code) used for the encryption are far more important than the program(s) used to work with the files. Currently OpenPGP is widely used and is very likely to be used for an additional 20 years or until the collapse, whichever comes first.

One thing to worry about for the long term is errors and data loss. Losing a few bits here and there will destroy an encrypted file.

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And there is another question: if the encryption used is still "good" enough, or completely pointless.

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The point of using password protection of a .zip file is not to prevent the NSA from accessing critical secrets. The point is that if you casually lose a DVD of family photos, and someone else casually finds it, they will not be able to casually view them.

It is comparable to putting a lock on your front door. A determined thief could just break in through a window or by some other potentially trivial means. The lock is not a bullet-proof way to thwart the most determined thieves. It is legal evidence of your intention to keep your home private.

Are you planning on doing a "Rip Van Winkle?" . Can't you extract them & rearchive them regularly. If you're saving them for 20 years without looking at them you've a hoarding problem.
As for stuff still working, try http://cr.yp.to

He is/was a sort of 'Dr Robotnik' figure without the murderous streak. He had the tech genius and the bad manners all right. Given the current climate, that url could probably be auctioned for a tidy sum.