BitLocker
BitLocker has been around for a while, but Windows 8 improves performance and adds some new features for disk encryption. For example, when you turn on BitLocker to encrypt a drive, you have the option to only encrypt sectors on the drive that have data stored on them, rather than encrypting the entire drive. As space gets used on the drive, BitLocker encrypts that data. Windows 8 BitLocker also adds the capability to deploy Windows 8 to an encrypted state, rather than encrypting the drive after installation.
Additional Windows 8 BitLocker features include the capability for users to change the BitLocker PIN or password, with support for password and PIN complexity through group policy; a Network Unlock feature that enables automatic unlocking of operating system volumes at system reboot when those systems are connected to the corporate network; and support for Encrypted Hard Drives, which offload the encryption process to the storage controller on the hard drive.
Get Windows 8 Bible now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
