Securing Sensitive Data on macOS: A Comprehensive Guide

In the era of digital information, protecting sensitive data is paramount. While macOS provides a range of security measures such as password protection, Touch ID, and Apple Watch authorization, there are situations where these may not suffice. For instance, when sharing your Mac with others for various reasons, you might want to prevent them from accidentally accessing your private files or folders. This is where the concept of hidden files and folders comes into play. They do not appear during regular system browsing in Finder, and with the help of third-party applications, they can be password-protected.

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Understanding Hidden Files and Folders

Hidden files and folders are an integral part of macOS security. They are not visible during regular browsing in Finder, helping to keep sensitive data out of sight. However, they can be revealed by pressing Shift+Cmd+. (period) in Finder, where they appear as faded but visible entities.

How to Hide Files and Folders

Hiding files and folders in macOS is straightforward. To hide a file or folder, simply add a period at the start of its name. Like other hidden files, the renamed file or folder will appear faded but will still be visible. To hide them all, press Shift+Cmd+. on the keyboard again.

Unhiding Files and Folders

To unhide files and folders, you need to rename them without the preceding period. However, to see the changes, Finder needs to be restarted. This can be done by opening the Terminal utility, entering 'killall Finder', and then hitting Enter.