How to Encrypt Your Computer: Part 1

April 1, 2020 · by Editor · in How To Guides, Security

One day I found myself wondering, “Could I encrypt my whole computer?” I had already encrypted a folder and a flash drive with VeraCrypt. You can encrypt your hard drive with VeraCrypt (something I haven’t tried yet), but I wanted to know if there was another way to do it.

I did some research and found out that you can encrypt your hard drive for free. Imagine securing all your files at once, not just one folder. How hard is it? That depends on what kind of computer or device you have. In this post, I’ll show you how to encrypt macOS computers and iOS and Android devices.

But before I start, a word of warning. All of these processes require you to create a password. This password is extremely important! If you forget it, you won’t be able to get your files back.

macOS

Apple computers have built-in encryption software called FileVault. To turn it on, click the Apple menu, click System Preferences, then select Security and Privacy. Click the FileVault tab, then the padlock icon. You’ll need to enter your administrative username and password.

Once you’ve gotten to the screen above, click the Turn On FileVault button. You’ll have two options to unlock the encryption and reset your password: your iCloud account or making a recovery key. A recovery key is a combination of letters and numbers that serves as a substitute password. Don’t keep your recovery key on the same hard drive that you’re working on. Save it somewhere else, like your phone or even on a piece of paper. If you have to write it down or print it, don’t leave it somewhere that everyone can find it.

iOS

iPhones have a reputation for being very secure. In fact, there has been a longstanding fight between Apple and the FBI about unlocking iPhones at government request.

Go to the Settings app and tap Touch ID and Passcode. Select the Turn Passcode On option. Once it’s on, go to the Change Passcode option.

screenshot of iOS passcode option - encrypt computer

Now you can create your passcode. If you’re using iOS 9 or above, the default option is a six-digit number. If you select the Passcode Options link, you can add letters or make the passcode longer.

Android

When I was doing research on Android, I found a lot of outdated information. Many of the articles I found were published in 2016, back when Android smartphones had an option called “Encrypt phone.” All modern Android devices running Android 7.0 (Nougat) and up already have encryption. But there’s one catch – you have to turn it on.

Turning on encryption in Android is a two-step process. First, you have to pick what kind of screen lock you want. Open the Settings app, tap the Lock screen and security menu, then tap the option Screen lock type.

screenshot of lock screen options in android - encrypt computer — Typical options for Android screen lock. If you want to setup encryption, don’t pick Swipe or None.

Once you’ve picked your screen lock method, it’s time for the next step. Go back to the Lock screen and security menu, scroll down, and select Secure Startup. This option is what makes the encryption effective. When you turn on Secure Startup, your phone will not finish the startup process unless you use your screen lock method.