should I encrypt my computer ?

Hi dgreenlee
 
Welcome to the Community Forums.
 
What exactly where you thinking about encrypting on your computer? The whole disk or just specific folderes, etc.
 
If you are running Windows Pro then you have the option of switching on the native BitLocker encryption fature but otherwise you would have to find and use a 3rd party encryption app to encrypt the whole disk.
 
The choices are better if you are just looking to encrypt specific folders and/or files...I can suggest some options but you will need to private message me if you are interested in hearing about those options.
 
Hope that helps?
 
Regards, Baldrick

Thinking of bit locking whole drive. Is this a bad idea?

Not all. If you have the right version fo Window, to quote Microsoft:
 
"Device encryption helps protect your data by encrypting (“scrambling”) it. Only someone with the right encryption key (such as a password) can decrypt (“unscramble”) it.".
 
You can read more HERE, and if you really want all the info on what it does, does not do then please see this MS KB Article which should answer all your questions.
 
But the headline is that BitLocker protects your hard drive from offline attack, NOT online attack or attacks when your system is active, i.e., BitLocker encrypts the hard drive so that when someone has physical access to the drive, the drive is unreadable, so it will not protect the drive contents from a ransomware attack which would take place when the system is being used, etc.
 
Hope that helps but let us know if you have additional questions.
 
Regards, Baldrick