What is FileVault?

FileVault is a disk encryption programme built into Apple computers running Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) and later versions, including macOS. It scrambles the data on your Mac's storage drive, making it unreadable to anyone who doesn't have the decryption key. This means if your Mac is lost or stolen, your files are protected from unauthorised access.

There are two main versions of FileVault:

• Legacy FileVault: Introduced in Mac OS X 10.3, it only encrypted the user's home directory, not the entire startup disk.
• FileVault 2 (available from Mac OS X 10.7 Lion onwards): This is a more robust version that encrypts the entire startup disk, providing a higher level of security.

How Does FileVault Work?

FileVault uses a powerful encryption algorithm to scramble your data on the fly. This means that as you save files and use your Mac, the data is automatically encrypted before it's written to the disk. When you log in to your Mac with your password, the decryption key is used to unlock the drive and make your files accessible.

Why Use FileVault?

FileVault is a valuable security feature for anyone who stores sensitive information on their Mac, such as financial documents, personal photos, or work files. Here's why you might want to use it:

• Protects from unauthorised access: If your Mac is lost or stolen, FileVault makes it much more difficult for someone to access your data.
• Complying with regulations: Some businesses or organisations might require FileVault to be enabled on devices for regulatory compliance.

Things to Consider Before Enabling FileVault

• Performance: Encryption and decryption can add a slight overhead to your Mac's performance. However, modern Macs are powerful enough that this is usually not a noticeable issue.
• Recovery options: It's crucial to choose a recovery method during FileVault setup in case you forget your login password. You can use your iCloud account or create a recovery key.