Enable Full-Disk Encryption

Why

Full-disk encryption protects all the data on your device by making it unreadable without the correct authentication. This is crucial for protecting your personal information if your device is lost or stolen. Most modern operating systems offer built-in full-disk encryption tools that are easy to set up and use.

Action

• For Windows 10/11 (using BitLocker):

  • Ensure your PC has a TPM (Trusted Platform Module)
  • Open ‘Control Panel’ > ‘System and Security’ > ‘BitLocker Drive Encryption’
  • Click ‘Turn on BitLocker’ next to your system drive
  • Follow the prompts to set up BitLocker
  • Save the recovery key in a secure location (not on the same device)

• For macOS (using FileVault):

  • Click the Apple menu > ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Security & Privacy’
  • Click the ‘FileVault’ tab
  • Click ‘Turn On FileVault’
  • Choose how you want to be able to unlock your disk and reset your password
  • Write down the recovery key and store it securely

• For Android:

  • Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Security’ or ‘Security & location’
  • Tap ‘Encrypt phone’ or ‘Encryption & credentials’
  • Follow the prompts to encrypt your device
  • Note: Many modern Android devices are encrypted by default

• For iOS:

  • iOS devices are encrypted by default when you set a passcode
  • Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Touch ID & Passcode’ or ‘Face ID & Passcode’
  • Set a strong passcode if you haven’t already

• For external hard drives (Windows):

  • Connect the drive and open File Explorer
  • Right-click the drive and select ‘Turn on BitLocker’
  • Follow the prompts to encrypt the drive

• For external hard drives (macOS):

  • Open ‘Disk Utility’
  • Select the drive and click ‘Erase’
  • Choose a name, format as ‘APFS (Encrypted)’ or ‘Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)’
  • Set a strong password

• After encryption:

  • Restart each device to ensure encryption is fully enabled
  • Verify encryption status in system settings

• Backup recovery keys:

  • Store recovery keys or passwords in a secure password manager
  • Consider printing a hard copy and storing it in a secure physical location

Remember

Full-disk encryption may slightly impact performance on older devices. Always ensure you have backups of your data before encrypting, and never forget your encryption password or lose your recovery key, as your data will be irretrievable without them.