![]() ![]() Although decryption was slower in general, all times were avereged together. The test file - a 5,3GB DMG - was encrypted five times and decrypted five times. On my test machine (see how I make it sound like I have more than one), a mid-2013 MacBook Air (1.3GHz Core i5 with 8GB Ram and 256GB SSD drive) I performed a series of tests to determine just how much of an impact this could have. Therefore, if you’re constantly hiding or unhiding files and performance is a decisive factor, Hider may not be ideal. This means it’s heavily dependent on disk write speeds. ![]() When encrypting a file or folder, Hider is in fact rewriting it entirely. Keep your top secret ideas securely stowed away. While I liked the premise of secure notes, having them confined to the local vault with no means to easily export or share them (print, email, etc.) made secure notes a little less convenient. Just like with files, it’s possible to organize notes into custom folders and also search by title and content. You can create rich text notes that remain safely encrypted within your local vault. Hider 2 saw the inclusion of secure notes. Quick access to any of your hidden files via menu bar. Clicking on the file will toggle it’s visibility and you can also opt to open the file in finder once it’s unhidden. It shows a list of the 5 most recent files or you can search for the desired file. ![]() Hider sports a menu bar helper that allows you hide or unhide files. Click the button to the left of the drop-down to toggle between Hide All or Unhide All. There you’ll find options to hide/unhide all or just selected as well as remove selected. ![]() To perform a batch operation, choose a desired action from the drop-down menu in the bottom right corner. Groups are also a great way of performing batch operations. If that’s not enough, search works well too. To help keep your vault neatly organized, Hider natively supports Mavericks tags and also allows you to place secured files in custom groups. Once a file is in your vault, toggling it’s visibility is as trivial as clicking a button. Simply drag a file from an external drive into Hider and it will create a new vault. Hider can also create vaults on external drives. Alternatively, you can click the + and navigate to the file you’d like to secure. Clean and minimal.ĭragging a file or folder into the view-port will encrypt and then hide it (also works with multiple files or folders). Once you’re setup, Hider will greet you with a simple, albeit pleasant looking window, with navigation along the left side and the main view-port on the right. Make sure it’s secure and stored in a safe place, since this unlocks your vault and without it your hidden files and folders are essentially lost. Upon first launch, Hider presents you with a small introduction of its features and then prompts you for your Vault Password. Therefore, when MacPaw released version 2 of Hider 2 - a Mac app that reduces the complexities of hiding and encrypting data on your Mac - I was keen to put it through it’s paces and see how it performed. I consider myself a security conscious user and working in IT means I often need safeguards in place to protect sensitive data, whether it be mine or a client’s. While it could be better, it’s undoubtedly a great start. The Bottom Line: Hider 2 is a great app that removes the friction most users may experience when trying to keep their data safe. The Bad: Given it’s dependent on write speeds, it can be painfully slow encrypting large files and folders. The Good: Simple & straightforward allowing users with any expertise level to securely encrypt their data. ![]()
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