Microsoft BitLocker Reviews

We primarily use the solution for encryption. 

You have to do a bit of reading to understand the logic; however, after that, it becomes pretty straightforward to use it.

Feature-wise we have the ability to encrypt fast. This means when you enforce the policy and when you onboard a device via the Azure AD, it comes online pretty quickly. The speed at which BitLocker engages is pretty strong. That's a significant thing. You can even control your external devices, like your USB devices. You can allow or deny, or even encrypt those devices. There are lots of useful things like that available in this product.

In terms of improvement, they should look at file encryption. When the files are being moved out or something, sometimes we need encryption in transit. Meaning when your system, your laptop you're using, the files are idle, then they are encrypted. And if you are sending the files out, let's say you're mailing the files out, that's data in transit. The encryption over there is controlled differently. It depends on what tool you're using for sending the files. However, the encryption is controlled there. The thing is, if you could have one single point of the solution, no matter if you're using Office 365 as an organization, to have just one encryption system across multiple systems, rather than having one BitLocker on the drive, then another encryption rule-set for sending an email, that would be easier.

Maybe the solution could use some more capability within the reporting system, et cetera. The reporting in Microsoft is very minimal. If you had a third-party tool, they will give you very high-level, very detailed reporting across various categories and conditions. Microsoft doesn't do that. That's a huge drawback in the system. You open the control, you get a lot of information; however, that information, you can't export.

I’ve been using the solution for almost a year now.

The solution is absolutely stable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn’t crash or freeze. It’s reliable.

We currently have about 150 people using the solution across every level of the organization.

Scalability doesn't really come into play since it's applicable only to the endpoint. BitLocker is applied to the laptop. You can set the policy to apply to all the drives on the laptop, and you can set the policy when the system is starting up and ask for a pin or just run it without the pin when it starts up. All that stuff is configuration-driven. There's no issue with scalability there. It just applies to all the machines, and once encrypted, all the machines will report to the central consoles.

Technical support varies since Microsoft tech support is outsourced to other organizations partnering with Microsoft. Therefore, even though I'm raising a ticket with Microsoft, it can go anywhere across the globe. Eventually, it is a third-party organization that's representing Microsoft that will handle the ticket.

The problem is the individual's expertise will vary. Some of them are very well versed in a particular product. Some are not so well versed. Eventually what happens is if they're not so well versed, then they'll go back to the Microsoft documentation and give you details based on that, and they'll work it out with you. The important thing is they always make it a point to achieve case closure. I'm not saying that it's very brilliant, however, it does a very good job. 80-90% of the time, it actually works.

Positive

We did not previously use a different solution, however, the critical thing to note is Windows 10 and 11 come with built-in encryption enabled. You have to disable that encryption. Only then will your centralized policy for BitLocker take over. Otherwise, it will throw up an error.

The initial setup is pretty simple. You might have to do a bit of education in terms of understanding the logic, however, after that, it’s all very simple.

For the actual deployment, basically, I did it in pieces. I did the initial deployment on my laptop. I had raised queries with Microsoft Support for this. Once I got the basic settings in place, I stabilized this as my policy, and then I drove it out to all my users.

I handled the initial setup myself. I didn’t need the help of any integrators or consultants.

You only have to pay for it. BitLocker is already present within the operating system. It's part of the OS. When you buy your laptop or a desktop, BitLocker is already present. The important thing here is the configuration part of it. BitLocker comes on your laptop, and it's 128-bit encryption, which comes by default. It's the unmanaged variety. The managed variety can be 128 or 256 bits. As a matter of industrial practice, we will all deploy 256 versions and there's no software cost coming in.

The important thing here is the deployment tool that you have. There are lots of tools in the market. Microsoft has an app called Intune, which gives you native control of the system. If you don't use Microsoft, if you don't have Intune, then you could look at some other products which give you control over the native encryption rather than deploying their own. Many products are there in the endpoint security domain which provides you encryption. If I decide to go that route, I will disable the BitLocker on both and I will apply this encryption software. However, I’m forced to rely on that encryption tool to do that management.

I’m using the latest edition. I started off on a trial basis for a couple of weeks, and now I've taken it to production. All my laptops are now on BitLocker.

I’d rate the solution nine out of ten.

If you want a free solution and work on Microsoft, use Windows BitLocker. That should do the job for you. Unless otherwise explicitly required for business needs, Encryption is basically a compliance requirement from an audit compliance requirement perspective. Encryption of your hard drives is a compliance requirement. However, there are businesses and industries wherein the data has to be encrypted, and it’s mandatory. This is not an issue of compliance for them. It's a work requirement. In those kinds of scenarios, then you would have to probably look at third-party solutions, which give you something beyond just the basic encryption. If you want to do basic encryption and you have your Intune, just use that. No money needs to be spent. You just need to put a little effort into creating a policy to push and apply to all the systems. End of story. However, if you have something more significant, you may have to look at other solutions.

We use the solution ncrypt any agency data . We probably have about 3,800 users on 5,000 plus computers and there are a variety of roles with some people doing data entry all the way through to system administrators. We're a statewide agency. We'll probably increase usage in another few years when we have more computers. I work as the Desktop Operations Manager in the company and we're a customer of Microsoft. 

I think there is some room for improvement for end users and technical staff. They are the ones required to support the computers, learn how the solution functions and to troubleshoot. For now, they have to wing it most of the time and it could be better. 

For additional features, I'd like to see something more manageable by our agency. We had a portal where we could manage these. I know there are products out there that have portals where you can actually manage the BitLocker and that would be much better. If we lose a computer now it's unclear whether Absolute Computrace can find it if it's been encrypted. 
We have some issues with Microsoft about that. 

I've been using this solution for four years. 

I think stability is fine. My personal impression is that it's working the way it's supposed to. I  believe that the problem is on the end user side because they don't know how it functions. They get frustrated and accidentally activate the blocker and get locked out. 

We've never had a problem with that. 

We really haven't had much technical support on this other than from Dell trying to help us and Microsoft telling us everything is fine. We've only just started trying to determine what the problem is so hopefully things will improve. 

Before this, we used Wave but when they were bought out by another company we switched to BitLocker. 

Initial setup was straightforward. 

This is not my area but I don't think we pay annual licensing costs. I think we just pay for computer leasing, and all fees are included in the purchase. I don't think we're getting our money's worth because we're often unable to locate computers that have been lost. 

I think it's important to involve the technical team when selecting a product and testing it out, rather than having the upper management make the decisions regarding which products to purchase. It's also important to get upfront support, technical support and maintenance, and maybe somehow get a portal where they can manage it themselves rather than it just kind of existing. 

I would rate this product an eight out of 10. It does what it's supposed to do and it's just the troubleshooting that's a problem.  

We use BitLocker to secure external disks according to security policy. Every external disk, regardless of size, is encrypted with BitLocker for everyday use. The password is securely stored in a designated location. Additionally, client PCs are also equipped with BitLocker for basic security measures.

BitLocker serves as a layer of security for any external drives users use, ensuring that any data stored on them, whether for local backups or important files, remains protected. 

We opt for a data loss prevention solution. I evaluate different vendors, including Microsoft BitLocker, as part of this process. Each step of the implementation is carefully planned, as every aspect of data protection is crucial.

BitLocker could have a more user-friendly interface at a lower price. There are no regular updates for it. If they introduce new features, the new version might offer improvements or enhancements in the future.

I have been using Microsoft BitLocker for two years.

The product is stable, with no significant impact. Its primary function is to enhance security, and its reliability depends on the company's implementation. It protects at a basic level.

The solution's scalability is limited as it is designed for individual devices on-premises. Each local device requires its password, with no centralized management or options for scalability across multiple devices.

If you lose the passwords, then you need Microsoft support. You have multiple recovery options like printed, saved password, and rolled hash key.

The initial setup is very easy. If you want to use BitLocker on the system, different steps are involved. If you only want to encrypt external drives, it's easier, especially if the external disk is blank.

BitLocker provides benefits such as security and protection for data at a basic level. BitLocker can be a satisfactory solution with sufficient security. BitLocker meets our needs adequately.

No separate license is required for BitLocker. It is included in Windows operating system editions.

Bitlocker is easy to use. You can find a lot of information on how to use it on many informational sites, but the process is straightforward: follow the "next, next, finish" steps. It takes time, depending on whether you're encrypting an external disk or a disk with existing data. If the disk is empty, the process is speedy.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

I use BitLocker to keep our work computers and files safe. Since we deal with sensitive data, I asked the developers to turn on BitLocker on their computers. This makes sure that our information stays private and secure.

I like BitLocker because it gives us strong encryption to protect our data. The fact that it uses a 256-bit key with AES makes the encryption super secure. It is kind of like having a tough lock on our digital stuff. Additionally, it is easy to use, which is a big plus. The application doesn't make things complicated, and that makes it convenient for everyone to keep their computers and files safe without a lot of hassle.

The only thing that could be slightly improved is the occasional stability issue.

I have been using Microsoft BitLocker for a little over a year.

I would give it an eight out of ten for stability. It is not a perfect ten because I have encountered occasional issues, especially when starting up my computer. Sometimes there seems to be a problem with the files, and I notice certain restrictions. When this happens, I reach out to our tech person who handles the BitLocker setup to fix it.

BitLocker is fairly scalable. We have less than 20 users of the solution at our company.

The initial setup is quite simple. Deploying BitLocker took a relatively short time since we had a tech expert familiar with it. We had less than 20 laptops to secure, and the deployment speed was impressive. With the technical guidance in place, they could deploy it on about five to ten laptops simultaneously in a single day.

BitLocker is not very expensive.

I would recommend BitLocker to others. As part of the development team, we take the lead in creating plans, and we have suggested using BitLocker for critical users who need to protect their laptop content. It has been effective for us, providing a solid layer of security, especially for sensitive data. If someone is looking to safeguard their information, BitLocker is a reliable solution worth considering. Overall, I would rate it as a ten out of ten.

We use Microsoft BitLocker to encrypt the data.

Before logging into the system, we enable Microsoft BitLocker so that the data will be automatically encrypted.

The best feature of Microsoft BitLocker is how it encrypts the data. The solution has a feature that automatically asks the users to upgrade their password once we set up the process. Microsoft BitLocker will not allow users to have the same password for the next five to six times.

The solution’s user interface could be improved.

I have been using Microsoft BitLocker for six to seven years.

Microsoft BitLocker is a stable solution.

Microsoft BitLocker is a scalable solution. More than 5,00,000 users are using the solution.

The solution’s initial setup is straightforward for an end user.

Microsoft BitLocker is a cloud-based solution. I would recommend Microsoft BitLocker to other users. The solution's performance lags a little. Your process will get a bit slow whenever you start encrypting the data.

I rate the solution a five out of ten for ease of use and effectiveness.

Overall, I rate Microsoft BitLocker an eight out of ten.

Whole Disk Encryption is great. BitLocker runs seamlessly during boot up. I also liked that it did not conflict with Windows, most likely since it was created by the makers of Windows, Microsoft.

BitLocker provides the common person with great security to guard against most threats consisting of efforts by unauthorized people who try to gain access to the computer by not allowing it to boot up absent a password.

There are options which could be implemented to make it a little more like PGP Whole Disk Encryption, but given the fact BitLocker is readily available, and has no known conflicts, I think it is a great product to secure against unauthorized access.

I have used and recommended BitLocker to people in the corporate and high net wealth arena.

Despite some bad press and conspiracy theories, I trust the product, but do recommend using a secondary effort such as encrypting a partition of the drive. This is helpful in the event BitLocker is compromised; using PGP with a different password (at least 20 characters; do not use words, of course).

We have not encountered any stability issues. I have heard some computers using other whole disk encryption solutions can freeze up at times; I have not heard of such with BitLocker.

We have not encountered any scalability issues.

I have never needed to use customer service; however, corporate customer care at Microsoft is great at resolving issues.

I like the domestic support team; have yet to have an issue with them.

We did not previously use a different solution.

The initial setup was straightforward; very simple to install and modify from 128-bit to 256-bit encryption, 256-bit being the government standard for "Top Secret" information.

I did not use a vendor team to implement it.

Encrypting the help desk system with BitLocker serves as a crucial security measure. If a laptop or device falls into unauthorized hands, the encryption ensures that data cannot be decrypted without proper authentication which enhances system security and provides a reliable recovery mechanism to safeguard sensitive information.

It provides a comprehensive level of protection against unauthorized access. 
It holds significant value as it reduces the need for extensive IT management to handle security across networks and environments. Its significance goes beyond BitLocker alone; it encompasses the entire product suite or platform.

The primary aspect for improvement lies in expanding our developer base, which would accelerate the development process and bring these enhancements to fruition. For the upcoming release, I'm interested in seeing additional features, particularly the ability to synchronize usernames and passwords into a pre-boot authentication system.

I have been using it for a few years.

It's stable and well-established. Over the past few years that we have been using it, it has proven to be reliable and robust. I would rate it ten out of ten.

It provides high scalability.

In terms of Microsoft tech support, the speed, knowledge, and customer-friendliness can vary. Microsoft support may have its complexities, but when using our management tool for BitLocker, the process is streamlined.

The initial setup is straightforward. It involves leveraging our SaaS platform, allowing the backend to be subscribed.

The deployment process is streamlined: you need to create a configuration and effortlessly roll it out to your machine. It's an easy and user-friendly procedure.

It operates on a subscription model on an annual basis.

Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

We put BitLocker on all our consultants' laptops to protect their data in case they lose their machines.

I like the fact that you can get a BitLocker encryption key out of OneDrive.

BitLocker should be available on standard Windows. We need to spend money on a Pro license to get BitLocker because it's essential to protect our customers' data. We don't want that to fall into the wrong hands.

I have used BitLocker for five years.

BitLocker is stable.

We haven't rolled it out on a large scale. We're enabling it one computer at a time. 

BitLocker is pre-installed on Windows Pro, so you only need to switch it on. It takes a while to run, but you can switch it on and go do something else. It takes a minute or so to find it in the settings and enable it. 

BitLocker is included in the Windows Pro license. The Pro version of Windows costs about 100 pounds more than the Home Edition, so you need to decide if it's worth upgrading to Pro. That extra cost might be a tough pill for some companies to swallow, but it's necessary if you don't want to worry about your data if an employee loses their laptop. 

I rate Microsoft BitLocker 10 out of 10. It's a simple tool that does what it says. I recommend using it if you have access.