Windows and MacOS both provide a mechanism to fully encrypt the disk on your computer. Disk encryption helps prevent data theft in the instance where your physical device is stolen, and the hard drive removed. Computers without encryption can be easily read by anyone in physical possession of the device.
All IS&T-issued devices should have disk encryption enabled by default. You may wish to verify this on your device before storing sensitive data.
Note: We recommend that all users have a backup tool installed (e.g. OneDrive, CrashPlan) to protect locally saved data in the unlikely event that a drive becomes inaccessible due to hardware or software failure.
How do I go about encrypting my computer?
We offer two software programs to encrypt your computer: