Follow these steps, which make an encrypted ZIP archive on your Desktop: All it takes is typing a single command, dragging a file or folder to Terminal, and entering a password twice. Create Encrypted ZIP Archive Using TerminalĪlthough many Mac users are intimidated by using the Unix command line in Terminal, making an encrypted ZIP archive is easy enough for anyone. And better yet, any Mac user can expand them using the built-in Archive Utility simply by double-clicking and entering the necessary password. They’re easy to create on the Mac, either using a simple command in Terminal or with a third-party utility. For most people, most of the time, encrypted email is overkill.įor a more straightforward solution to exchanging information securely via email, use password-protected and encrypted ZIP archives. There are ways of encrypting email messages so they can be read only by the recipient and never exist in an unencrypted form other than while being created or read, but they’re difficult to set up and fussy to use. If an attacker were to gain access to either of your email accounts, they might scan for patterns like credit card numbers, ID numbers, phone numbers, and postal addresses and find them even in attachments. Sending sensitive files via email is a bad idea, partly because the email could be intercepted in transit (possible but highly unlikely), but more because the files then live in both your and your recipient’s email accounts in an unprotected form. If attaching it to an email message makes you think, “That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” award yourself a gold star! Imagine you’re staring at a file or folder-perhaps confidential employee information that you need to send to your accountant.

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