[MW Forums]

Encrypted data is thoroughly scrambled and can be unscrambled only with the correct password. The best encryption methods—known as strong encryption—make it essentially impossible to decrypt data, no matter how much trickery or brute force the thieves use. more

[Nobody]

"Create your disk image
First, launch Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities). Choose File: New: Blank Disk Image. Choose a maximum size for your folder; I use 4.7GB, so even if I fill up the disk image, I can still burn it to a DVD-R."
A 4.7GB DVD-R has a 4.38GB writeable capacity (minimum capacity 3.95GB).
Adviceable that the folder is sized accordingly.
Bjorn

[jniel]

I like to use whole disk encryption. In my work environment we can never know for sure that people will save sensitive files in the right place.

[parveshc]

so is also the best way to encrypt files living in /usr/local directories? For example, what about mysql tables. Does the the described method also work for encrypting the tables on a file level?
parv

[GuyB]

Thanks for the tip. It works with 10.3.9 also (only the suggestions from the Assistant Password that's not available). But when I create the encrypted folder, I get two icons : one with the left upper corner turned, they other one looks like a disk drive. I thought the last one was the good one but when I tried to trash the one with the left upper corner turned, a message told me that it could'nt trash because because it was in use. Do I have to keep both of these icons ?
(Excuse my poor english !)

[bugsnw]

Just out of curiosity, why choose the "sparse disk image" option instead of the read/write disk image?
Also, can you just open Disk Utility and click the New Image icon near the menubar?

[timklein]

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Just out of curiosity, why choose the "sparse disk image" option instead of the read/write disk image?

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A non-sparse image will work too, but it will start out occupying the full amount of space you specify when you create it. A sparse image, on the other hand, starts out small, and grows over time as you add files to it -- up to the maximum size you specified when you created it. (Note that it doesn't shrink as you delete files though -- if you care about that, you have to use the 'hdiutil' command line utility to "compact" out unused space from a sparse disk image. If you delete a file, its space does later get reused by new files though, so unless you're short on disk space, you probably don't ever care enough to bother compacting a disk image.)

Quote:

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Also, can you just open Disk Utility and click the New Image icon near the menubar?

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For some reason, if you do that rather than choose File-->New, you don't get the full set of options.

[Francisco]

For some reason I haven't been able to backup ever since I did created the encrypted disk images. I haven't even been able to transfer a disk image to another hard disk. When I try it always pops a dialog saying an error occurred.
I use super duper as backup and when it gets to backing up the encrypted files a dialog pops up saying 'not enough space on device' when I clearly have space left.

[RayGun]

cripes -- isn't there something better for those of us who are tech/geek impaired? I tried this and it didn't work -- so obviously I did something wrong.
Can't you macworld guys review some apps that will protect specific folders, files, APPS for crissakes? it's midway thru 2007.... wtf has apple been doing ?
i know there are things out there -- but what is safest, best AND preferably it should be something that interfaces with keychain so the passwords for various locked/encrypted folders get saved somewhere?

this sparse image thing is just way too complicated and time-wasting and confusing for basic users who need some galldang folder and file protection. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[kperera12]

Thanks for the article - this is exactly what I needed. However I think the software has been updated so there are more options and choices available when setting up the disk image - 256 bit encryption and a couple of other choices that I don't quite understand the implications of like 8 choices for "Partition". Even Apple's own support pages don't list these options.
The followup explanation of the benefits of "sparse disk image" was also helpful, Thanks.