Protecting Data with BitLocker in Windows 10

Keeping the bad guys, and the Man out of your files

Steve Smith teaches you yet another skill to prevent bad guys and the Man, from accessing your files.

Episode #6-15 released on December 14, 2015

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Encrypting your data is important, whether for a portable device like a laptop or tablet, or a business or personal computer. Protecting your data from prying eyes, any eyes, means you are protected from prying eyes trying to view your data while you are not logged in, this means that if you ever lose control of your devices, or drives, your data is protected.

Now, I want you all to remember one thing, you may say that you have nothing to hide, and that governments, and others can see all your data. But, the day, you do have something to hide, and do hide it, then it will stick out like a sore thumb, so the best method of encrypting sensitive data, is to encrypt it all. And that, even if you currently have no sensitive data to speak of.

Since Windows Vista, Windows has had a very cool functionality built in, and while built in solutions are not considered the best of ideas, any encryption is better than none, and we all know that the simpler to implement the more likely you may use it. The functionality is called BitLocker, and it is available to everyone with Windows Vista to Windows 10. This, also, exists in many of Portable Windows Products, as well.

Using it is fairly straight forward, and can be used to encrypted drives or partitions easily, but keep in mind, if you wish to copy my method, please backup your data first, especially if you encrypt your system drive. Also, this takes a while to do, based on the amount of data you currently have. This is not the type of thing you have time for if anyone is banging on your door.

For the purpose of this episode, I'll be encrypting a USB drive, since it is the ultimate in portable. Since many of us may carry such a device on a keychain, it may be a good idea to prevent people from accessing the data within our drives, especially if the content of the drive is sensitive in nature.

The Procedure for encrypting a drive or partition is relatively simple. Go to This PC in the Windows Explorer, usually accessed via My Computer Right Click the drive you want to encrypt, click Turn On Bitlocker. Under Choose how you want to unlock this drive, make your choice, I prefer Password, then click next. Select a method of backing up your recovery key from the list, choose whether to encrypt the whole drive, or just the parts used. Then click Start Encrypting. Make sure to press pause if you need to unplug or power down your device, and make sure it is plugged in at all times.

Host : Steve Smith | Music : Jonny Lee Hart | Editor : Steve Smith | Producer : Zed Axis Productions

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