Encryption is a vital self-defense tool, so here’s how to enable it on all your devices and computers running the major OSes

The FBI’s inability to crack a terrorist’s iPhone 5c shows the strong protection you can get for your private information on a mobile device. That same encryption is also available on your computer, at least in some cases.

Given the increasing access to personal and corporate data sought by the U.S. government, as well as by other politicians, unscrupulous businesses, and criminal hackers, people should up their game on what they protect. Fortunately, it’s not hard to do. (But be sure to back up your data before you encrypt your devices, in case a power failure occurs during the encryption process and makes your data unavailable.)

How to encrypt your iOS or Android mobile device

On your mobile devices, be sure to do the following:

Upgrade to iOS 9 or Android 5 or 6 on all your smartphones, tablets, and data-storing devices like iPod Touches to get their hardware-assisted encryption capabilities. Then enable encryption on those devices.

In iOS, all you have to do is turn on password protection, which you do in the Settings app’s Touch ID & Passcode section; encryption is in play once a password is required. When you unlock your device (whether it is asleep, turned off, or restarted), entering the password decrypts the device.