Protecting your data
15/03/17 18:25 Filed in: encryption
As we move more and more of our lives into the digital realm, we need to do more to protect ourselves.
It is important to keep programs up to date, and to ensure your wireless networks are secure, but what happens if your computer is lost or stolen?
Whole disk encryption can protect you if you leave a laptop in a cab or a plane or if it is stolen. And it is not hard to do.
On a Macintosh, FileVault 2 is built in to the MacOS. Read here what it is and how to use it.
On the Windows side, my favorite is Bitlocker, included in the Pro versions of Windows 7, 8 and 10. Pro is a $99 upgrade and worth it for Bitlocker alone. For people who don't want to pay the money, TrueCrypt used to be the gold standard. It was discontinued several years back, but others have stepped in to take its place. VeraCrypt is the frontrunner. A brief explanation of TrueCrypt's demise and the alternatives can be found here.
It is important to keep programs up to date, and to ensure your wireless networks are secure, but what happens if your computer is lost or stolen?
Whole disk encryption can protect you if you leave a laptop in a cab or a plane or if it is stolen. And it is not hard to do.
On a Macintosh, FileVault 2 is built in to the MacOS. Read here what it is and how to use it.
On the Windows side, my favorite is Bitlocker, included in the Pro versions of Windows 7, 8 and 10. Pro is a $99 upgrade and worth it for Bitlocker alone. For people who don't want to pay the money, TrueCrypt used to be the gold standard. It was discontinued several years back, but others have stepped in to take its place. VeraCrypt is the frontrunner. A brief explanation of TrueCrypt's demise and the alternatives can be found here.