If you have particular files on your computer that you want to keep private you can easily create a password protected file or folder. For instance, if you use your computer for keeping a journal you might want to keep it private, especially if another person uses the same computer. But even if you are the only person that uses the computer there are reasons for a secure place for your own items. The most obvious is if your computer is a laptop and gets stolen. There also may be times when there are children or grandchildren that want to play on your computer.

So here’s all you have to do. If you your file is a Pages document you can easily set a password for the file. You simply click the "File" menu and choose "Set Password." If the document is a PDF file, the procedure is similar. Under the "File" menu you click the "Edit Permissions" then check the "Set Password" box.

Here is the procedure for creating and encrypted folder that you can put many documents into. (An encrypted folder is a bit more secure than a password protected document.) Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder and select New Image on the window’s top toolbar. Create a title for your file and choose where you want to save it. Then you can set the size of the file and below that where it says Encryption, select 128 bit AES encryption. Click the Create button and create your password, then write it down somewhere safe. Actually, you may not even want to have a password written down anywhere, but I suggest you write it down until you’ve used the file a few times before eliminating the written password. If you loose or forget the password there is no way to retrieve your information.