Turn on FileVault disk encryption
FileVault encrypts everything on your Mac's disk. Without it, someone who takes your laptop could read your files by getting around the login. With it on, your data is scrambled and useless to them.
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Turn it on
Go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then FileVault, and switch it on. Your Mac encrypts in the background, so you can keep working while it finishes. From then on, your login password unlocks the disk when you start up.
Save your recovery key
During setup you'll be offered a recovery key, a long code that lets you back in if you ever forget your password. Store it somewhere safe and separate, such as your password manager or a printed copy in a drawer, not on the Mac itself. If you lose both your password and this key, the data can't be recovered, which is exactly why it's secure.
It won't slow you down
On any modern Mac, FileVault runs without you noticing. There's no real downside, and it's one of the highest-value protections you can turn on, especially on a laptop that leaves the house.
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