You can protect the contents of a ZIP file, but unless you know the trick, you might as well not bother.

How to add Password to Zip file For starters, let us give a bit of backdrop to the various encryption and password protection methods that are supported by .zip files.

Some applications have password protection features built in, while in other cases you'll need to lock up your files using a different method.

Encryption is the matter of safety, I've always said. If you want to keep movies, pictures and other files under a safe lock, choose a password protective software from our guide.

Save space on your Mac by compressing pictures, videos, documents and folders into smaller zip files - which you can also protect with a password ...

How to encrypt and password-protect ZIP files the right way This tip was originally published on IDG Answers, a reader-powered help desk for answering tech questions.