Hi. Want to encrypt an external storage device, do you use Mac’s FileVault or 3rd party software that comes with the device? Bought a Samsung T7 SSD. Would think it’s better to stick to FileVault? Thanks.
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If there is any chance you would want to use it with an iPad Pro I’d suggest encrypted APFS.
I copy my non-media files to an APFS encrypted T7 nightly, in part so I can access them on my iPad Pro if my Mac fails.
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I’d put more trust in Apple’s FileVault than whatever came with the drive. Much more likely to keep functioning with future macOS versions and other Macs.
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Using external SSD storage purely for Mac backup. No intention to use it on iPad.
I don’t think that FileVault works on external disks, but if it’s something that’s only going to be used on Macs, I would just format it as an encrypted volume using Disk Utility. I trust Apple over 3rd party drive manufacturers to get the encryption implementation right. Probably of more practical importance is the possibility that the 3rd party software may not be updated to maintain compatibility with newer versions of macOS, which can be a big deal if you file a drive away for off-line archival purposes and want to access the day sometime in the future.
I’m not sure if it’s “Filevault” per se, but there is an option when formatting any drive to use “APFS, Encrypted”.
That’s the option that I was talking about 
Thank you all for the input 
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