FileVault
E41428
FileVault is Apple’s built-in full-disk encryption system for macOS that protects data by encrypting the contents of a Mac’s startup disk.
All labels observed (5)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| FileVault canonical | 5 |
| FileVault 2 | 2 |
| FileVault (macOS) | 1 |
| FileVault disk encryption | 1 |
| FileVault full-disk encryption | 1 |
How this entity was disambiguated
This entity first appeared as the object of triple T321701 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.
NED1
Entity disambiguation (via context triple)
gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07
Target entity: FileVault Context triple: [macOS, supportsSecurityFeature, FileVault]
-
A.
HFS Plus
HFS Plus is a proprietary journaling file system developed by Apple for use in macOS and earlier Macintosh operating systems, succeeding the original HFS to support larger files and volumes.
-
B.
macOS
macOS is Apple’s proprietary Unix-based operating system known for its graphical user interface, tight integration with Apple hardware and services, and strong emphasis on usability and security.
-
C.
iCloud
iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage and synchronization service that securely backs up and keeps users’ photos, files, and data up to date across their Apple devices.
-
D.
Lockit
Lockit is the corrupt jailer and one of the main antagonists in John Gay's satirical ballad opera "The Beggar's Opera."
-
E.
Mac mini
The Mac mini is a compact desktop computer designed by Apple that offers full macOS functionality in a small, versatile form factor suitable for both consumer and professional use.
- F. None of above. chosen
- G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.
NED2
Entity disambiguation (via description)
gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07
Target entity: FileVault Target entity description: FileVault is Apple’s built-in full-disk encryption system for macOS that protects data by encrypting the contents of a Mac’s startup disk.
-
A.
HFS Plus
HFS Plus is a proprietary journaling file system developed by Apple for use in macOS and earlier Macintosh operating systems, succeeding the original HFS to support larger files and volumes.
-
B.
macOS
macOS is Apple’s proprietary Unix-based operating system known for its graphical user interface, tight integration with Apple hardware and services, and strong emphasis on usability and security.
-
C.
iCloud
iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage and synchronization service that securely backs up and keeps users’ photos, files, and data up to date across their Apple devices.
-
D.
Lockit
Lockit is the corrupt jailer and one of the main antagonists in John Gay's satirical ballad opera "The Beggar's Opera."
-
E.
Mac mini
The Mac mini is a compact desktop computer designed by Apple that offers full macOS functionality in a small, versatile form factor suitable for both consumer and professional use.
- F. None of above. chosen
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
disk encryption software
ⓘ
full-disk encryption system ⓘ macOS security feature ⓘ |
| canBeManagedBy | MDM solutions ⓘ |
| category |
Apple security technology
ⓘ
linked to:
Secure Enclave
data protection technology ⓘ |
| compatibleWith |
Apple silicon Macs
ⓘ
linked to:
Apple silicon
Intel-based Macs with T2 chip ⓘ |
| configurationLocation | System Settings > Privacy & Security (modern macOS) ⓘ |
| dataStateProtected | data at rest ⓘ |
| defaultStateOnNewMacs | enabled by default on many modern Macs ⓘ |
| developer | Apple Inc. ⓘ |
| documentationURL | https://support.apple.com/HT204837 ⓘ |
| effectOfDisabling | triggers disk decryption process ⓘ |
| encryptionScope |
entire startup disk
ⓘ
full disk ⓘ |
| encryptionType | on-the-fly encryption ⓘ |
| encrypts |
macOS system volume
ⓘ
startup disk ⓘ |
| integratedWith |
Recovery Key mechanism
ⓘ
iCloud account recovery (optional) ⓘ macOS login system ⓘ |
| introducedIn |
Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
ⓘ
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion ⓘ |
| majorRevision |
FileVault 2
ⓘ
linked to:
FileVault
|
| operatingSystem | macOS ⓘ |
| platform | Mac ⓘ |
| previousConfigurationLocation | System Preferences > Security & Privacy (older macOS) ⓘ |
| protectsAgainst |
offline attacks on disk contents
ⓘ
unauthorized access to data on lost or stolen Macs ⓘ |
| purpose |
full-disk encryption
ⓘ
protect user data at rest ⓘ |
| recoveryMethod |
recovery key displayed during setup
ⓘ
storing recovery key with Apple (optional, via iCloud account) ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
Secure Enclave
ⓘ
T2 security chip ⓘ macOS Recovery ⓘ |
| requires |
administrator privileges to enable
ⓘ
initial disk encryption process ⓘ user authentication at startup ⓘ |
| statusCheck | can be verified in macOS system settings ⓘ |
| storesKeysIn |
Secure Enclave (on supported Macs)
ⓘ
linked to:
Secure Enclave
|
| supports |
institutional recovery key
ⓘ
multiple user accounts ⓘ personal recovery key ⓘ |
| usedIn | enterprise Mac deployments ⓘ |
| usesEncryptionAlgorithm | XTS-AES-128 ⓘ |
| usesKeyLength | 256-bit key ⓘ |
How these facts were elicited
The pipeline generated the facts above by prompting gpt-5.1 with this entity's name + description and the instruction below.
Instruction
You are a knowledge base construction expert. Given a subject entity and a description of it, return factual statements that you know for the subject as a JSON list of dictionaries(triples), where keys must be "subject", "predicate" and "object". The number of facts may be very high, between 25 to 50 or more, for very popular subjects. For less popular subjects, the number of facts can be very low, like 5 or 10. # Requirements - If you don't know the subject at all, return an empty list. - If the subject is not a named entity, return an empty list. - Include at least one triple where predicate is "instanceOf". - Do not get too wordy. - Separate several objects into multiple triples with one object.
Input
Subject: FileVault Description of subject: FileVault is Apple’s built-in full-disk encryption system for macOS that protects data by encrypting the contents of a Mac’s startup disk.
Referenced by (10)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
linked to: FileVault
linked to: FileVault
linked to: FileVault
linked to: FileVault
subject linked to:
Panther
linked to: FileVault