So you have a password to protect your user account, but how about passwords to protect your folders and app data as well? Here’s a neat lil’ app for PowerPC Macs called Espionage – simply Drag-N’Drop a dollar to the window, or add app data from the “+” in the main window once you setup your password.

It’s a relatively straightforward app in that aspect. It makes an AES 128-Bit Encrypted .sparsebundle image out of the original, tosses the old folder in the trash, and puts a shortcut in place of the original icon.

On Your Mac

• Download: Espionage-2.8.10.dmg_.zip (Low End Mac Software Repository, 6 MB)
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• Once downloaded, Drag-N’Drop to your applications folder.

• You will be prompted to setup a new password initially, upon the first time opening the app. This is so you can lock/unlock the Espionage app. Once you have it setup, this is the password you will use every time the app is launched (after logging in or quitting).
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• This initial password you setup for the app isn’t the same as each individual password you setup for each folder, or app data you’re looking to protect.

• Drag-N’Drop a folder or click the “+” to add application data, to encrypt.

• Once done, it’ll let you choose a password, encryption type, and application associations.

• If you have an app called Growl installed, this app will show notifications. It’s a nice modern touch for Mac OS X Sorbet Leopard/Leopard.

• Once you have it setup, you will use this newly created password to access your locked folder.

Features

In Preferences

• Start/Stop Espionage app as well as “helper”.
• Show Global Status menu in Menu Bar
• Enable/Disable path finder compatibility mode
• Check/uncheck for auto-updates
• Restore defaults button
• Enable info notifications or use Growl notifications
• Enable automatic backup for encrypted folders (including time interval settings)
• Change minimum image capacity, default file system, dollar “saving”, encryption type, and where passwords are stored (login keychain vs Espionage’s own keychain)
• Registration tab

Per Folder

• Enable/disable folders (Caution: Do not interact with the data in an encrypted folder while it’s disabled or it may corrupt the folder!)
• Lock/Unlock folders from this window as well as the menu bar
• Location path shows in here
• Change encryption settings: AES-128 or AES-256 Sparsebundle or Sparseimage
• Enable/disable Autounlock at login
• Enable/disable public mount point
• Change password
• Edit application associations

In Conclusion

All in all, this is a nice add-on to your PowerPC Mac, adding an additional layer of functionality, security, and a pinch of modernity with the growl notifications. There’s not a ton to it – and it’s probably best this way, as it’s a simple, straightforward app which password protects your app data or folders.