Implementing mobile data protection with BitLocker to go on Windows 7

Of the many new features of Windows 7, I am most appreciative of BitLocker to go. Compared with BitLocker in Vista, Microsoft extends its functionality further in Windows7, enabling the BitLocker to go in the enterprise and Ultimate version of Windows7 to support USB storage devices.

Bitlocker ToGo Features Overview

Bitlocker to Go (BtG) supports the right mouse button menu encryption, as shown in Figure 1. The choice of the figure is the Lexar 512MB u disk.

Figure 1 The right mouse button menu encryption

The encryption process is very fast, the encrypted mobile hard disk or USB disk can only be authenticated through the password or PIN code to access. And this protective measure is not limited to WINDOWS7 systems.

Files that are BTG protected on a mobile device are not accessible only through WINDOWS7. You can also access these files on Windows XP and Vista. Files that are encrypted and then written can also be protected, as shown in Figure 2. If the Windows system does not run automatically after the mobile device is plugged in (it should also disable Autorun from a security perspective), we can display the BTG encryption device through Windows explore, as shown in the arrows. Several files in the diagram are the only few files that are visible after the mobile device is encrypted.

Figure 2 files that are encrypted and then written can also be protected

After decrypting the BTG encrypted mobile device in the WINDOWS7 system, users can use the mobile device as a normal storage device, including full write and read capabilities. However, in the XP or Vista system, the decrypted mobile device only has read ability, the user needs to copy the files to the local hard disk before they can edit and so on write operations.

In addition, any access USB storage device is controlled by Group Policy when using BTG.

So, what's the BTG? It seems to me that there are few drawbacks, and the biggest problem I've encountered in testing is the inability to restore encrypted mobile devices to devices that do not have encryption capabilities. Maybe this function exists, but it's just as hard to find as a lot of Windows7 new features. In addition, I think this feature is very good, if it can be in each version of Windows7 and Vista to add this feature is the best.

If you are interested in how to use BTG, you can continue reading down.