Securing Windows 10 with BitLocker Drive Encryption

Windows 10 includes several security features. Perhaps one of the most important features is BitLocker Drive Encryption, which provides data protection in case of a loss or stolen device. It also provides security for decommissioned computers. BitLocker has been around for several years and can be used with Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 operating systems. However, the focus of this article is on securing Windows 10 with BitLocker.

BitLocker Drive Encryption is built into the Windows 10 operating system and uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with configurable key lengths of either 128-bit (default) or 256-bit (configurable using Group Policy). The idea behind the BitLocker Drive Encryption is that once you secure your drive, only you, or someone who has your password and recovery key, will be able to get to your data. Although this kind of protection provides enhanced security on mobile devices, such as laptops, there is no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of BitLocker encryption on your desktop computers.

NOTE: BitLocker is not available on Windows 10 Home edition. It’s available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education editions.

Unlike Encrypted File System (EFS) in previous Windows operating systems, BitLocker Drive Encryption encrypts your entire drive. This is much better than encrypting certain files or folders not only because of its ease but also because it offers a much higher level of security. By encrypting the entire drive, you can rest assured that all the files on your encrypted partition are protected.

In this article, I will share some insights into Windows 10 BitLocker Drive Encryption. I will walk you through step-by-step configuration of BitLocker on Windows 10 and also share some best practices. Full Article