How do I create an encrypted (password protected) zip file?

2

8 Answers

This will prompt for a password:

zip --encrypt file.zip files

---

This is more insecure, as the password is entered/shown as plain text:

zip --password (password) file.zip files

---

Warning, the standard zip encryption is very weak and is easily cracked.
Note, Use -r to zip directory and subdirectory recursively.

6

Starting from Ubuntu 17.10, right-clicking and selecting "Compress" no longer has "Other Options" listed.

To resolve this, open "Archive Manager" and then drag & drop the files/folders from your File Manager into it and it will appear.

2

You can also right-click on a folder or file(s) in Nautilus and select "Compress...". In the resulting window, you can expand the "Other Options" section to enter a password.

If the password field or any of the other options are not enabled, then the selected compression option does not support it. Select a different one from the list after the filename. According to the documentation:

Currently, only 7-Zip, ZIP, RAR and ARJ archives support encryption

3

Comments and answers have mentioned the default zip encryption is weak, but since there is no code example, here is on with .7zip:

sudo apt-get install p7zip-full # install 7zip
7za a -tzip -p -mem=AES256 foo_file.zip foo_folder # encrypt folder

Commands explained:

• 7za: Use 7zip
• a: Append? / Adding files? (e for extraction)
• -tzip: Use .zip format instead of default .7z
• -mem=AES256: Use AES256 encryption
• foo_file.zip: Name of .zip file
• foo_folder: Name of folder to encrypt

Answer based on:

4

sudo apt-get install zip
zip -r --encrypt result.zip folder

1. Install zip
2. Use -r to zip directory and subdirectory

3. Use --encrypt to secure your files

   with a simple password-based symmetric encryption system, which is documented in the ZIP specification

   Wikipedia

Encrypt

gpg -c your.zip

creates your.zip.gpg

Decrypt:

gpg your.zip.gpg

To turn off password caching

More details including directories.

with bsdtar

Encrypt a_file, creating the encrypted archive encrypted.zip (you'll be prompted for a password):

bsdtar --options zip:encryption -acf encrypted.zip a_file

Decrypt and extract the file from the encrypted archive:

bsdtar -xf encrypted.zip

---

The -a option when creating the archive makes bsdtar choose the archive format and its compression using the ending of the archive, .zip. If you don't add -a, you'll get this error message:

bsdtar: Unknown module name: `zip'

The metadata (filenames) of an encrypted zip can be read with unzip -l

The solution, as described in that link is to double-zip it but it is really not elegant.

Also, some email providers block that kind of attachment, gmail for example.

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Sign up using Google Sign up using Facebook Sign up using Email and Password Submit

Post as a guest

Post Your Answer Discard

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy