Encrypting your computer is critical in protecting your data in the event your computer is physically lost or stolen. In this short tutorial, we're going to show you how to check if your Windows or Mac computers are encrypted.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Vista and higher offer a built-in encryption capability called BitLocker. BitLocker can easily be enabled without adding any new software. To check if BitLocker is enabled:
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Open your Control Panel
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Select "System and Security"
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Select "BitLocker Drive Encryption"
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Verify that all your drives have BitLocker enabled.
Note: Windows versions prior to Vista (e.g., Windows XP) will require additional software for encryption and are outside of the scope of this tutorial.
Apple Mac OSX
Apple Mac operating systems also come with a free and built-in encryption solution called FileVault. To check if FileVault is enabled:
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Open "System Preferences"
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Select "Security & Privacy"
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Select the "FileVault" button at the top.
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Verify that your Mac has FileVault turned on.
Encrypting your data with modern computer hardware and software has become much easier with the built-in solutions. We recommend always enabling Full Disk Encryption (like BitLocker and FileVault) wherever possible, and most critically on mobile computers.
For more information on this topic please reach out to us; we’re here to help!