So far, we have talked about data moving across the internet. But what about the information sitting statically on your computer's internal hard drive right now? Your family photos, your saved tax documents, your automatic browser logins—they are all stored physically inside that plastic and metal case.

Now, imagine an unfortunate scenario: your laptop gets stolen from your car, or you accidentally leave it behind in a hotel room.

You might think, "Well, I have a strong Windows or Mac login password, so my data is safe."

Unfortunately, without Device Encryption, that isn't entirely true. If a thief steals a standard, unencrypted laptop, they don't actually need to guess your login password. They can simply unscrew the bottom case, take out the hard drive, plug it into a different computer, and open your files like a thumb drive.

This is where features called BitLocker (on Windows devices) and FileVault (on Apple Mac computers) come to the rescue.

Device encryption completely scrambles everything residing on your hard drive. When your computer is turned off, your data is a locked vault. The only way to unlock that vault and make the files readable is to type in your official login password or PIN when the machine boots up.

If a thief pulls an encrypted hard drive out of your machine and plugs it into another computer, they will see absolutely nothing but randomized digital noise. Your identity remains entirely safe, even if your physical hardware is gone.