Under the rules of GDPR, which started on 25th May 2018, loss or theft of a laptop without an encrypted hard drive is considered a data breach which must be reported, however if the hard drive is encrypted, then this is not a data breach (as long as you have a secure password to log into your laptop.)
What does it mean to encrypt my hard drive?
With an unencrypted laptop, even if someone doesn’t know that password to login, they can remove the hard drive, plug it into their own PC, and read all the documents that were on the laptop. If the hard drive is encrypted, all of the documents stored on it will appear to be meaningless garbage to someone doing this. From the perspective of the legitimate user, the laptop behaves exactly as normal, apart from possibly being very slightly slower.
How can I encrypt my hard drive, and what does it cost?
If you have Windows 10 Pro then you already have everything that you need, just search for BitLocker in your start menu, and click “Turn on BitLocker” to start the wizard.
If you have Windows 10 Home then you will need to upgrade to Pro to get this facility. This can be accomplished without having to reinstall your Laptop, but Microsoft will change you £119 for the upgrade.
If you have an older version of Windows then BitLocker may still be available, it’s included in Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 8.1 Pro. However you might want to consider upgrading to Windows 10 to get the latest version of BitLocker and many security enhancements to Windows itself.
How can I get more help?
Inter-Logic is happy to assist with this, or any other IT queries. Please call Richard on 01362 709044 / 07802 270598 or email me at richard@inter-logic.co.uk
