How do you encrypt a file or a single folder worth of data?

Looking for a way to easily encrypt a file or a folder with a password without having to make up an encrypted read write image in Disk Utility?

Solution 1:

There are plenty of utilities that will create a simple encrypted volume/image for you, I've used Exces, but I got it in a bundle, otherwise seems a little bit expensive. I know there are others. Exces does what it says and nothing more.

It creates a volume where you can drop anything (folders, files, etc.).

After you close it, you need the password to re-open it and access its contents. If you lose it, you're hosed.

Solution 2:

Found some interesting solutions in the article How to password protect folders. Someone in the comments of this article mentioned the app Espionage 2 and this seems to be more along the lines of what I was looking for with more a seamless Finder integration and maintaining folder appearance, not sure if it works on just single files the same way, will need to try it. Eg I have a important Tax Documents folder, and now I have a Tax Documents Folder Encrypted, and not now I have a Tax Documents disk image file sitting there instead of a folder.