How to: encrypt and password-protect data on external hard drive?

[HermanTheGerman]

The title says it all... I would like to encrypt the data on my external and limit the access by a password.

What is the quintessential solution?

 

[Oryan]

Encryption/data security applications seem to be sparse on the Mac platform. Maybe try checking out this thread.

 

[skunk]

Can't you just save it as an encrypted disk image? I've never bothered, but you can do it with Disk Utility.

 

[Scottyk9]

Can't you just save it as an encrypted disk image? I've never bothered, but you can do it with Disk Utility.

Yes, this is the way to do it - no other applications required, and 128-bit encryption. There are a few threads on this issue and how to do it.

 

[blodwyn]

Yes, this is the way to do it - no other applications required, and 128-bit encryption. There are a few threads on this issue and how to do it.

I just did this and it works fine. The only thing to bear in mind is that it takes quite a while to create the encrypted disk image. I created an 80GB encrypted image and it took around 4 hours (USB2 Hard Drive on a G5 iMac)

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

Chmod all directories recursively on drive to something like 600 or 640. Only you then will have permission to read it.

 

[Oryan]

Chmod all directories recursively on drive to something like 600 or 640. Only you then will have permission to read it.

That isn't what they were asking for. The data would still be unencrypted if someone would load another OS at boot or if they had physical access to the hard drive.