Encrypting a local Time Machine drive

For security compliance, all local Time Machine backup drives must be encrypted.

This KB Article References:
DoIT Macs
This Information is Intended for:
Instructors, Researchers, Staff, Students
  1. Right click (or control click) on your Time Machine back up drive on your desktop
  2. Select Encrypt from the contextual menu
  3. When asked, create a complex password

Keep the following in mind:

  • Forgetting the password will prevent access to the data on the drive
  • Depending on the amount of data on the drive, encryption may take several days of computing time to complete
  • During the encryption process, Time Machine may be unable to complete additional backups
This Content Last Updated:
12/31/2024
This KB Article References:
DoIT Macs
This Information is Intended for:
Instructors, Researchers, Staff, Students
This Content Last Updated:
12/31/2024