Do you encrypt your OS drive?

Do you encrypt your OS drive?

  • Yes

    Votes: 36 41.9%
  • No

    Votes: 43 50.0%
  • Thinking about it

    Votes: 7 8.1%

  • Total voters
    86

Zero Knowledge

Level 20
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Top Poster
Content Creator
Dec 2, 2016
869
Encryption is fine if you have lost your laptop/computer then it can save your bacon from some random accessing your files otherwise once your device is in someone else's hands then you have to consider the device compromised no matter if it's encrypted or not.

This is the major problem I see with encryption these days; laws are being introduced in many countries to force you to hand over your password.

.
 
Last edited:

Zero Knowledge

Level 20
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Top Poster
Content Creator
Dec 2, 2016
869
@Zero Knowledge

With VeraCrypt you can create a hidden container ...

Hidden containers might fool your brother, mother or sister from snooping but anyone with enough skill in digital forensics will find it eventually. If you know someone uses VeraCrypt/TrueCrypt you're going to will look for hidden containers. I'm not saying containers are useless, they have their place but just be aware of the limitations in using them.
 

TairikuOkami

Level 37
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Content Creator
Well-known
May 13, 2017
2,685
No, I do not have hibernation, fast startup nor pagefile. Browsers and Temp folders are cleaned from ramdisk upon shutdown.
I have disabled storing passwords in memory (CachedLogonsCount/DisableDomainCreds/DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn).
 

marhendray

Level 1
Nov 20, 2021
33
For my Linux machine, yes (LUKS), but no in Windows machine since it doesn't support BitLocker. I could use VeraCrypt to do full disk encryption on Windows, but I was having a difficult time to Windows Update, especially the one that requires restart since the OS itself is encrypted before entering password on boot so the entire update process is rejected. Instead of having this cycle (encrypt-decrypt-update-encrypt), I choose to encrypt my files individually using SSE.
 

zkSnark

Level 5
Verified
Well-known
Jan 13, 2019
223
I have two drives... C drive for OS/program files and D drive for storing files and folders. I have encrypted C drive with Bitlocker. Do I need to encrypt D drive too?
 

Pixel_

Level 4
Thread author
Verified
Well-known
Jun 7, 2022
153
Do I need to encrypt D drive too?
I travel with my laptop, so my sensitive files driver encryption is a must.
It is also good if you have sensitive info to encrypt it from your kids, who might want to exploit your bank account to buy tetris skins.
Or hide sensitive data from your jealous aunt that visits you once in a while, because you inherited 1000000$ from your uncle, and she wants to take hold of your account too.
 

Zero Knowledge

Level 20
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Dec 2, 2016
869
I have two drives... C drive for OS/program files and D drive for storing files and folders. I have encrypted C drive with Bitlocker. Do I need to encrypt D drive too?
It depends on what is on your D drive. MP3's/MKV's of movies/PDFs of books then probably not. But if it's top sensitive P.I then probably you should encrypt.

Everyone needs to threat model and go from there. Think about who might target you, who would hack you and what would they gain from doing so. Then you have to consider if it's a home or work computer, regulations for type of information stored on the device (health/finance/legal) and what type of information your drives hold (blueprints/contracts/designs/legal agreements).
 

zkSnark

Level 5
Verified
Well-known
Jan 13, 2019
223
It depends on what is on your D drive. MP3's/MKV's of movies/PDFs of books then probably not. But if it's top sensitive P.I then probably you should encrypt.
I am trying to understand if malware, virus, ransomware attacks, is it only the OS drive (C: ) or other drives too? If it is only the OS drive, then I can always clean install the OS on C: drive again and again, since all my personal files/folders are saved on D: drive.
 
Last edited:

Fumerol_X

Level 1
Aug 28, 2022
10
I used to on my Linux laptop (pro) but wasn't able to use a specific software, now I don't need this software anymore I'm thinking about encrypting it.

My Windows desktop is not encrypted yet, but I'll do it soon (I hope,haha)
 
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Orchid

Level 1
Jan 27, 2023
44
Yes, I encrypted my laptop with Linux disk encryption (LUKS). I encrypt my hard drive in case my laptop/computer gets stolen. I also do it in case someone (I don't know or trust) come into my home and tries to access my laptop. If someone were to use my laptop/computer, I would be there, so they don't do anything I don't want them to do. As for me, I may type in my passphrase incorrectly and get locked out temporally; but it's because my passphrase is wrong, and after a while, I am allowed to try again.
 

CyberTech

Level 44
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Nov 10, 2017
3,250
Well i think Bitlocker would be good idea i never use that before because nobody use my PC/laptops for many years thank God. and when you away from home for a week or so someone take HDD out of PC/from laptop and use HDD adapter on other system to see your HDD personal files obv, my question is if i use bitlocker C: and D: as lock then could he see my HDD personal files? just wondering.
 
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