The security of our computer must always be a priority, only then can we keep our data and personal information safe. There are many threats that can interfere with the safe use of a device, be it this laptop or desktop computer. However, one of the most serious is the theft of information from the computer , since personal data is exposed. BitLocker is listed as a Microsoft tool to protect these devices. We tell you more details about this tool and how you can activate it in Windows 10.
Here you will find the answer to all the questions that are on your mind about BitLocker and its uses in Windows 10 . We tell you what it is, how to activate it and why it can be your best ally both for personal computers and in work environments.
BitLocker is an encryption application that allows you to protect your hard drive to keep it safe in the event of an attempt to steal information on the device. This tool is available in several versions of Windows, it can be found from Windows Vista, through Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. This application encrypts entire volumes, so it can encrypt the entire hard drive or a part of it that you interest to keep protected.
To achieve this encryption on the hard drive, it uses an AES algorithm in CBC mode, with a 128-bit key. If all this has sounded complicated to you, you just have to know that AES is nothing more than an encryption scheme that the United States government decided to establish as a standard method , therefore, it is the best known.
Contents
- 1Where to find the Bitlocker key
- 2How to activate Bitlocker in Windows 10?
- 3Encrypt a USB with BitLocker
- 4How to disable encryption
Where to find the Bitlocker key
In order to access the encryption system you must get a password, this will allow you to access the data. This key can be stored in several places, we show you which ones and how to find the key :
- In a Microsoft account:This is a convenient and easy option to find the encryption key that will work like a key. You’ll just need to sign in to your Microsoft account from another device.
- On a USB Flash Drive: You can store the encryption key on a USB that you must connect to be able to open the encryption on the device
- In a printed copy: You can print the key to always have it at hand, however, this is not the most secure option, as other people can easily access it.
- In an Azure Active Directoryaccount : Your computer may have a linked Azure Active account, this is common in work environments and many times, an administrator action is required to access it.
If you are in a work environment, you may need the help of a system administrator to be able to access this sensitive information, this is a common thing and in such a case, you should ask those in charge. Many times, access to this information is restricted to workers, simply to increase the security of the company, so only essential profiles that require access to that information of their position have access.
How to activate Bitlocker in Windows 10?
BitLocker is not available for Windows 10 Home, it was designed for professional environments, where information traffic is higher and attacks are more common. Therefore, to be able to activate it you must have the professional version of the operating system . If you take this into account, you only have to follow the steps that we show you below to activate BitLocker in Windows 10:
- Log in to Windows, remember that you must have administrator permissions.
- On the Windows taskbar, type Manage BitLocker and select the option when it appears.
- If you can’t find it via the taskbar you can go to Control Panel>System and Security>BitLocker Drive Encryption.
- Select the Turn on BitLockeroption , you’ll find it next to the drive you want to encrypt to keep it safe.
- Follow the steps indicated by the wizard to finish the task.
- Choose where to save the key, remember that we have marked some of the options above.
The most essential part of this whole process is to keep the key to access the encrypted drive in a safe place , otherwise other people will be able to access it. The least recommended option is to print the key, since it will be visible and you will not be able to control the security of the device.
Encrypt a USB with BitLocker
BitLocker can also be useful to encrypt USB sticks and keep them safe. The procedure is simple and you can have it ready in a matter of minutes. Let’s see how you can do it:
- Plug your USB deviceinto the computer.
- Open the drive in File Explorer.
- Go to the Tools section of the Driveand select
- Follow the steps in the wizard to finish setting up encryption.
- Keep the encryption keyin a safe place.
As you have seen, the process is very similar to activating BitLocker on a computer. With the encryption of the USB drive you will protect the information and you will know that it will not be transmitted, you just have to save the key and have it on hand for when you need to access the information.
How to disable encryption
Let’s say you wanted to encrypt a part of your hard drive or USB drive and want to reverse the process . It may be that you no longer need to protect that information or that you simply do not quite fit the method. Follow the steps below and disable BitLocker on your device:
- Go to the Control Panel ofthe computer.
- Go to System and Security.
- Select the BitLocker Drive Encryptionoption .
- Look for the Turn off BitLockeroption and select it.
Once the process is finished, the information will no longer be encrypted, this is essential to remember, especially if you share a computer or are in a work environment where personal data is shared.