Shared Resources: BitLocker Click to removeBookmarkedBitLockerBitLocker is a drive-encryption technology that is built into the Windows client and Windows Server operating systems. On the Windows Server operating system, BitLocker is a feature named BitLocker Drive Encryption that you can add to a server like any other role or feature. On Windows client operating systems, such as Windows 10, you can enable BitLocker by using the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature in Control Panel.BitLocker helps protect computers that are lost or stolen from data theft or exposure, and offers more secure data deletion when computers are decommissioned. Data on a lost or stolen computer is vulnerable to unauthorized access, either by running a software attack tool against it, or by transferring the computer's hard disk to a different computer. BitLocker helps mitigate unauthorized data access on lost or stolen computers by combining two major data-protection procedures: encrypting the entire Windows operating system volume on the hard disk, and encrypting multiple fixed volumesBitLocker provides the following features:Encrypts an entire volume whereas EFS works at the file and folder level, BitLocker works at the volume level. You can opt to have BitLocker encrypt an entire volume or just the used part of the volume.Combinable with EFS if you have a shared computer used by multiple users (such as on different work shifts), BitLocker doesn't protect the user's data from another user because once one user is authenticated, that user has full access to the disk volumes.You can use NTFS in such a scenario, but if the users have administrative access to the computer, then they can bypass NTFS by taking ownership of a file or folder and resetting the permissions. EFS can protect data for different users sharing the same computer. Thus, if you have high-security requirements, consider deploying EFS and BitLocker.Protects the integrity of the Windows startup process. BitLocker protects the critical Windows startup files from tampering to ensure they remain uncorrupted. Additionally, Windows does not start if BitLocker detects that the critical Windows startup files have been tampered with, such as by a rootkit or another malware.Controllable by using Group Policy to manage BitLocker across your domain-joined computers. Group Policy has 42 settings available, with some settings being valid for specific hard drive types.Compared to EFS, BitLocker has more prerequisites when you start using it, depending upon the features you plan to use. For example, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is required on a computer if the plan to use system integrity verification or multifactor authentication. A TPM is a hardware chip that is used on a computer for encryption and decryption. As part of your BitLocker design, you need to consider the following questions:Do all the target computers have a TPM? In many cases, the answer is no. Thus, you need to plan how to handle computers without a TPM. Will you use BitLocker with those? And if so, which settings will you use?Do you require multi-factor authentication? If so, don't forget that a TPM is required.Which drive-encryption method will you use? In many cases, it is a good idea to use the strongest encryption method available for your computers, even if they have minor performance degradation in some situations.Will you enable users to choose any of the BitLocker settings for their devices? In a high-security environment, it is most common to have IT enforce BitLocker settings with Group Policy. In environments that aren't dealing with sensitive data, enabling users to choose some BitLocker settings can improve the user experience.Whereas EFS is an encryption solution for files and folders, BitLocker is an encryption solution for entire volumes. BitLocker also offers additional enhancements such as multi-factor authentication, where you can require supplemental authentication when a computer starts up.