SafeVault for Mac · Generally available

Your Mac is encrypted
from the first instruction.

Most encryption tools wait for macOS to load. SafeVault doesn't. Your data is locked from the instant you press power — through boot, login, sleep, and every byte that hits your SSD.

Unlock your disk

Enter your PIN to continue

Pre-boot authentication · SafeVault for Mac

SafeVault prompts for credentials before macOS starts loading.

Trusted by security teams at

The gap nobody talks about

There is a window between power-on and login. Most encryption misses it.

FileVault protects your data after macOS boots. But between the moment you press the power button and the moment LoginWindow appears, your disk is briefly readable — even to an attacker with physical access. Auditors know this. Attackers know this.

SafeVault closes that window by asking for your credentials before macOS even starts loading.

How it works

Three steps from power-on to working Mac.

  1. 01

    Power on

    SafeVault activates during boot, before macOS. The unlock screen appears instead of the Apple logo.

  2. 02

    Authenticate

    Enter your PIN, tap your YubiKey, or use your corporate badge. SafeVault validates against your company's identity provider.

  3. 03

    Boot normally

    macOS loads onto an already-decrypted disk. FileVault, APFS, and Time Machine continue to work as usual.

Boot-time protection

Locked before macOS even starts.

SafeVault asks for credentials in the boot picker phase — before LoginWindow, before `launchd`, before APFS mounts your user volume. Your data is unreadable from the first instruction the CPU executes.

Runs at the storage layer, so it catches every read and write — including ones the operating system hasn't even mounted yet.

🔒

Performance

Full NVMe speed. Zero compromise.

Encryption runs in-kernel, on the storage fast path. You get the same sequential throughput, the same tail latency, the same Time Machine backup window as an unencrypted drive.

No buffer bounces to user space. No FUSE. No background daemons spinning during your Zoom call.

Encrypted
Unencrypted

Internal benchmark · 2 TB NVMe · 1 MiB sequential

Identity

Works with the credentials your team already has.

Active Directory, Okta, Azure AD, Ping, Google Workspace — your employees unlock their Mac with the same identity they use for everything else. PIN-only, PIN + smart card, or full passwordless.

Centralized policy: enforce minimum PIN length, lockout after N failed attempts, hardware-bound keys on every supported Mac.

Okta SSO
🔑YubiKey 5
🪪PIV smart card
🔢6-digit PIN

Compliance

Pass the audit. Skip the scramble.

One enrollment, one policy, one report. SafeVault ships the evidence your auditor will ask for: key custody logs, unlock history, tamper attempts, and full-disk encryption status for every Mac in your fleet.

Stream events directly into Splunk, Sentinel, or Chronicle. No custom scripts to maintain.

08:14:02unlockalice@globex
08:14:25mount/dev/disk0s2
11:02:17policyPIN rotation due
14:48:03tamper3 failed unlocks

When teams pick SafeVault

Built for the Mac fleet that matters.

Regulated industries

Healthcare, financial services, and defense contractors that need audit-grade encryption and centralized key custody.

Distributed workforces

Remote-first companies whose MacBooks live on kitchen tables, coworking spaces, and airports — not in locked offices.

High-turnover teams

Contractors, interns, and seasonal staff who join and leave fast. Revoke access remotely without touching the device.

Insider-risk programs

Security teams that need full-disk encryption they can prove is actually on — even when the device is offline.

“We switched from a well-known FDE vendor to SafeVault because their boot-time unlock was the only one that worked cleanly with our YubiKey fleet. Setup took an afternoon. Our auditors were happy within a week.”
Marisol Chen · Head of Endpoint Security · placeholder enterprise

FAQ

Common questions.

Does SafeVault replace FileVault?

It complements FileVault. FileVault protects user data after macOS loads; SafeVault protects everything from power-on, including the window before macOS itself boots. They run side-by-side on the same Mac.

What happens if an employee forgets their PIN?

An administrator issues a one-time recovery code from the SafeVault console, or the employee authenticates via SSO and resets their PIN at the next login. No need to ship the Mac back to IT.

Is SafeVault a kernel extension?

It uses a kernel-resident storage filter so it can protect the disk from the first instruction onward. For day-to-day policy, telemetry, and management, it pairs with a normal user-space agent.

Will it slow down my Mac?

No. Encryption runs on the storage fast path, not via user-space FUSE. In internal benchmarks on a 2 TB NVMe drive, sequential throughput is within 1–2% of an unencrypted drive.

Which MDM platforms do you support?

Jamf Pro, Kandji, Mosyle, Intune for macOS, and Addigy. Available through Apple Business Manager for zero-touch enrollment.

See it on your own Mac in 20 minutes.

We'll walk you through a live enrollment on your hardware, answer your auditor's questions, and send you a trial license by end of day.