How to Turn on Windows 10 BitLocker for Securing Corporate Data


Information security is one of the most critical responsibilities of enterprise IT teams. With the influx of digital devices into the enterprise environment, enterprise IT teams have to implement robust data protection policies on the devices while ensuring that the employees imbibe a culture of security while handling corporate data. With remote working , the security profile of an organization is practically tested, since devices are connected to unknown, unmonitored networks or the corporate data is accessed on BYO PCs. Addressing security concerns on BYO devices as well as remote working devices is urgent and Microsoft offers several solutions to protect corporate data with the help of a mobile device management solution such as the Windows Information Protection (WIP) and BitLocker. 

Windows 10 BitLocker for Securing Corporate Data

In this article, we will have a look at the several security features of BitLocker and how to turn it on using Scalefusion MDM .

What is BitLocker?

BitLocker is an in-built feature offered by Microsoft that facilitates full-volume encryption to protect corporate data. BitLocker is designed to integrate at the OS level to address security threats such as data theft or data exposed on lost, stolen or decommissioned/retired devices. BitLocker essentially enables full volume encryption to ensure data security. BitLocker makes use of the AES encryption algorithm in cipher block chaining (CBC) or XTS mode[1] with a 128-bit or 256-bit key. 

When your device drives are protected using BitLocker, they cannot be accessed when physically attached to another device. Unlike other security options, BitLocker helps in securing the corporate data even when the device is offline. So while the MDM’s security features extensively safeguard the data when it is connected to the internet, BitLocker secures the data from unauthorized access and misuse when the device is offline. 

Benefits of BitLocker

It is a proprietary encryption feature by Windows offered to protect corporate data as well as system data and it is free.
It only requires the devices to be connected to the internet/network at the time o configuration and works offline 
It helps in setting up multi-factor authentication while accessing system drives
It makes up for a great backup mechanism in case your system crashes.

Requirements for BitLocker

BitLocker works in sync with the computers that have TPM (Trusted Platform Module) technology of version 1.2 or later. BitLocker can also be enabled on the computers that do not have TPM 1.2 or later but the enablement process will have to be initiated by inserting a USB startup key to start the computer or resume from hibernation. 

Using Scalefusion MDM for Windows 10 , enterprise IT teams can configure and enable BitLocker encryption for managed Windows 10 devices.

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