How to Create Encrypted Zip Files on Mac. If you use a Mac computer in your small business, you probably have sensitive information and store private data in files and folders on your computer.

Zipping files through the Terminal can be helpful, especially if SSH is enabled on a remote Mac, because you can log in and zip files remotely.

A variety of Mac applications compress files, but two simple commands native to macOS fulfill the same functionality--often more quickly and for less expense.