1.0Lifehacker Australiahttps://www.lifehacker.com.auchrisjagerhttps://www.lifehacker.com.au/author/chrisjager/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="TQsj0uqP9r"><a href="https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/06/ask-lh-is-it-legal-to-encrypt-my-files/">Ask LH: Is It Legal To Encrypt My Files?</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/06/ask-lh-is-it-legal-to-encrypt-my-files/embed/#?secret=TQsj0uqP9r" width="600" height="338" title="“Ask LH: Is It Legal To Encrypt My Files?” — Lifehacker Australia" data-secret="TQsj0uqP9r" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); </script> Dear Lifehacker, I have read plenty of stories on how to encrypt my files on my hard drive, but how legal is it? Can the police fine me for not giving them access to my encrypted files or am I just worrying over nothing? Thanks, Encryption Guy