FAQs: Password and encryption

Should I protect my computer with a password?

As standard practice you should password-protect your computer. This is to safeguard it from unwanted eyes or someone walking up to your computer and quickly copying files to an external USB stick. However, password-protecting your computer won't prevent someone having access to your data if your computer is stolen or falls into the wrong hands. To create a password to protect your computer, make it long, make it complex and make it difficult for anyone to guess. But also make it practical for you to remember, and always keep it secret.

Should I encrypt my hard drive?

If you keep any information on your hard drive that is sensitive, you should keep your hard drive encrypted. This will prevent the information from falling into the wrong hands if your computer is stolen.

For more on encrypting your hard drive please see: http://security.tacticaltech.org/chapter_4_1