Full Disk Encryption (FDE)
Learn how to protect UC San Diego data with Full Disk Encryption.
Full Disk Encryption (FDE) Benefits
UC San Diego's digital resources are valuable assets. Lost or stolen computers cause data breaches and compliance problems. Recent cyber-attacks in the news are striking closer to home. These developments require continuing diligence by everyone at UC San Diego. Security controls should be in place to prevent and reduce the risk of harm caused to these resources by error, accident, or malicious action, as mandated by the Office of the Chancellor.
FDE provides an additional security control at the hardware level. It automatically converts data into a form that cannot be understood by anyone who does not have the key to undo this conversion. Without the correct key, even if the hard drive is removed and placed into another machine the information will be unreadable. FDE is especially useful for laptops and small computing devices that can be lost or stolen.
FDE Software
UC San Diego-owned computers
Campus policy requires all UC San Diego-owned laptops to have an FDE program installed for all UC San Diego-owned equipment.
Native FDE options provided by your operating system:
Personally-owned computers
If you use your personal laptop to access UC San Diego information, we strongly recommend that you enable native FDE technology with the two solutions mentioned above.