Full Disk Encryption Q&A with Intel® Rapid Start Technology

Full disk encryption is designed to protect the data stored on disk drives from being accessed if your system is stolen. Full data encryption protects the data by encrypting it as it is written to the disk and only decrypting it if the correct credentials are provided during logon.

To maintain the benefits of Intel® Rapid Start Technology and full disk encryption, we recommend using a hardware-based full disk encryption solution and enabling an ATA security password.

Published guidance for software-based full disk encryption usually involves disabling Windows Standby/Sleep state and using Hibernate or Shut Down instead. Disabling the Sleep state means that Intel® Rapid Start Technology may not be used.

Follow your data encryption vendor's guidance. In addition, Intel recommends disabling Intel® Rapid Start Technology if you are using software-based disk encryption, unless you also enable an ATA security password. Refer to your PC manufacturer's documentation on how to disable Intel® Rapid Start Technology.

If your system has been running software-based full disk encryption where Intel® Rapid Start Technology has been enabled, the following steps are recommended to help secure your drive:

• Perform a full backup of the user data.
• Perform a secure erase in accordance with the SSD or Hybrid drive manufacturer's guidelines.
• Disable Intel® Rapid Start Technology in the BIOS.
• Reimage the drive and restore the user data from backup:
  • Disable Intel® Rapid Start Technology in the OS if it is not available in the BIOS. Disabling must be done before any transition to Sleep occurs.