Is it possible to encrypt the data on my laptop?

Encrypting your devices is a way to keep your personal files protected but there are some things to be aware of before you do this.


Asked by: Tom Pickford, Bath

Yes it is. Windows Vista Enterprise and Ultimate editions support BitLocker Drive Encryption and Mac OS X has File Vault – just check out the ‘help’ menu for details. There are also many third-party encryption programs that can encrypt anything from a whole disk to a single file. Some programs, such as Microsoft Word, also offer a password protect feature to for individual documents. Beware, though: if you forget the password, it is often impossible to recover the data.

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