Encrypting your external portable hard drive is a smart move if you care about your privacy and don’t want others to access your data in case your drive is lost or stolen. In this blog post, we will show you how to encrypt an external hard drive on Mac.
Firstly, it’s important to note that there are two ways to encrypt your hard drive, depending on whether you want to format it from scratch or if it’s already formatted in Mac OS journaled.
If you want to format it from scratch, you can use Disk Utility. Open Disk Utility and select the drive you want to erase. Click “Erase” and select “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” from the drop-down menu. Then, select “Encrypted” and enter a password. This will encrypt the drive, and you will have to enter the password every time you want to access it.
However, if your drive is already formatted in Mac OS journaled, you can just right-click on the drive and select “Encrypt.” Enter a password and click “Encrypt Disk.” The encryption process will start, and it may take some time to complete depending on the size of the drive.
Once the encryption is complete, you can eject the drive and unplug it. The next time you plug it in, it will ask you for the password to unlock it. You can choose to either enter the password every time you want to access it or save it in the keychain. If you save it in the keychain, you won’t have to enter the password every time you plug it in.
It’s worth noting that you can only use the encrypted drive on a Mac since it is Mac formatted. Also, if you forget your password, you won’t be able to access your data, so make sure you remember it.
In conclusion, encrypting your external hard drive on Mac is a simple and effective way to protect your data from prying eyes. It’s a good idea to encrypt your drive if you’re carrying sensitive information around with you. So, follow the steps above and keep your data safe and secure.