Poll

35 votes were received.
All visitors can vote.

Do you have FileVault turned on?

	Yes.
	No.
	Sometimes, not always.

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I've never turned FileVault on (just personally leery of full drive encryption and I don't need it). I do have a small dmg folder that's encrypted, and I could see why some absolutely want and love FileVault. Curious what the percentages are amongst MacResourcers.

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M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Ventura 13.x • Dual 25" Acer 1440p LCDs • M1 2020 13" MBAir (256G 8G) •

I think FileVault is of enormous benefit on a laptop. Someone who walks away with your computer will not have access to your data. Combine it with the "Find My" activation-lock and your Mac is well protected from thieves. (They could still break it up and use it for spare parts.)

The biggest problems with FileVault are the speed-hit from enabling it and the possibility of getting locked out and losing all of your data.

T2 chip Macs don't slow down with FileVault on, and having a backup admin account is good practice on a Mac anyway.

So, for anyone on a modern Mac laptop: Use FileVault. Turn it on before you travel with your laptop.

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I'm glad that my computers and the info on them aren't that valuable to anyone and I don't travel with them. If I did, then I'd have to consider some of the protections. Drive encryption on macs had all kinds of problems when they started offering it, but I'm sure it's much better now.

No, the chances that someone breaks into my house and steals my desktop computer and then finds any useful information on it, are much slimmer than the likelihood of something going wrong with Filevault and borking my drive.

If I had extremely sensitive data on it, or it was a laptop or computer in a location people might have access to, I would consider it.

Quote
fauch
No, the chances that someone breaks into my house and steals my desktop computer and then finds any useful information on it, are much slimmer than the likelihood of something going wrong with Filevault and borking my drive.

If I had extremely sensitive data on it, or it was a laptop or computer in a location people might have access to, I would consider it.

I use the same math of probability.

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M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Ventura 13.x • Dual 25" Acer 1440p LCDs • M1 2020 13" MBAir (256G 8G) •

I did a test comparison pre vs post FileVault on an Intel laptop. No speed difference, even using benchmarks as an recall.

I use it for work, and I’ve not had any issues.

I encrypt my critical data using tools like 1Password, so I do not always turn on for personal laptops. But I could see using it all the time, if I were living overseas.

pole vault file?