DATA Encryption

Due to the sensitive nature of human rights work, data encryption is required. All data created and used by Human Rights Watch and our partners must be stored on an encrypted device (hard drive) or in an encrypted virtual container.

If you do not feel comfortable encrypting your own drives, pre-encrypted drives are available upon request.

ENCRYPTION INSTRUCTIONS

PHYSICAL HARD DRIVE [RECommended]

If you are storing or sending data on a physical hard drive, consult the instructions to encrypt a physical hard drive.
****Please note that drives encrypted using macOS are not compatible with Windows and vice versa. Encrypting an external hard drive requires a full erase of data on the drive.

macOS — Disk Utility: If you are using macOS, please encrypt your hard drive with Disk Utility using this guide from Apple Support
Windows — BitLocker: If you are using Windows, please encrypt your hard drive with BitLocker using this guide

ENCRYPTED SOFTWARE CONTAINER INSTRUCTIONS [advanced users only]

If you are sending data and need to use an encrypted software container, please use the Veracrypt application:

Veracrypt: If you need to create an encrypted software container, please use open source application Veracrypt using this guide. For more information about Veracrypt and a second guide, check out The Freedom of the Press Foundation’s Guide to Veracrypt.