Microsoft BitLocker Reviews

Windows 11 has new features including facial recognition functionality. We are not using it yet, but we will implement it in the future. We just completed migrating the last device to Windows 11 yesterday. Eventually, we will start using those features through InTune, where you can enable configurations and run partial scripts against your devices. It is very effective. The only limitation is the BIOS access for scripting. Though scripting is possible, it requires having personnel who are knowledgeable about these systems. A dedicated team of people is necessary.

Microsoft BitLocker implementation requires careful consideration. When any BIOS change occurs, Microsoft BitLocker activates because it detects a potential vulnerability, which is its intended function. Since BIOS updates are necessary periodically, it is crucial that whoever implements Microsoft BitLocker knows how to recover the key, especially when dealing with important devices such as a CEO's laptop.

The implementation process is straightforward, and it operates in the background. Once initiated, it continues to function even if the computer is turned off. It proceeds without user notification, which is beneficial. The progress can be monitored along with other relevant information.

The system requires secure boot to function properly. There could be improvements made to pre-installation processes to enhance security.

We have been using the solution for two years, starting in January or February of last year. More detailed documentation about usage would be beneficial, as installation instructions are provided but potential issues are not typically addressed.

The solution is very stable.

The transition to Microsoft BitLocker has proven worthwhile due to cost savings. We previously used McAfee and Bitdefender, which cost $80,000 annually. We have reduced these costs by streamlining our operations with Microsoft products, which share similar interfaces and behaviors. This similarity reduces training requirements, as familiarity with Intune translates to understanding Microsoft BitLocker and Windows.

Microsoft BitLocker was previously a standalone product around 2000, possibly introduced with Windows 7. Now it comes integrated with the operating system, making it an accessible security solution that should be widely adopted.

Secure boot is essential for Microsoft BitLocker functionality. The solution comes included with the E3 license. This review rates the product 8 out of 10.

I am using Microsoft BitLocker. I am working on Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.

I only use Microsoft BitLocker and no other features.

There was one request from a client who asked to migrate to Microsoft BitLocker because it was not working fine for him. The administration depended on Group Policy, not similar to System Center, which is easier. The reporting was very helpful for him.

Recovery options are useful with Microsoft BitLocker. When we get the recovery key from Microsoft, people who we show how BitLocker works did not know the facts about BitLocker. When we tell them about recovery keys, it is very difficult for them to get to the users who have issues in their PCs and do not have the knowledge. When IT asked about the scenario, it was difficult for them. They needed something where they could go to the administration portal to unlock the PC for the user, but we tell them that when a user asks for a recovery key, it consists of 32 numbers to unlock their PC.

They observed cost savings after implementing Microsoft BitLocker because they requested BitLocker with System Center. They found that it did not have a high cost, as it is a built-in feature in Windows. When they asked about other solutions, it was very expensive for large numbers in other corporates or organizations. They were very satisfied with Microsoft BitLocker with System Center Configuration Manager.

Microsoft BitLocker is far away from the threats in data security. It is not the number one solution for security, but I think it is a good layer in this process. It is a layer, but it is far away from threats and viruses security, just a low layer of security.

I recommend Microsoft BitLocker for people who do not have the money for other solutions, such as Kaspersky. Kaspersky is very helpful. It is very good for those people who do not have the money for other or higher solutions.

I have been using Microsoft BitLocker since 2019.

It was difficult for me to install Microsoft BitLocker at first, but there was enhancement that happened in the 2002 version when they canceled https as a pre-requisite in the previous version.

I rate Microsoft's technical support as 10. They are very responsive and very good.

Positive

I spent just a few hours on the setup and configuration of Microsoft BitLocker, maybe a day or sometimes two days. Two days or five hours in each day was enough.

I did the installation all by myself.

I think the price for Microsoft BitLocker is very good based on our experience with our customers. I would rate it a 7.

My job title is Senior Technology Specialist. I would rate this solution an 8 out of 10.

I use the solution in my company for encryption on desktop systems.

The solution's most valuable feature is that it is simple to deploy and manage. I can't say what features of the tool I like since it is very much a deploy-and-forget product. We don't use any advanced features of the tool in my company. The tool's recovery options are good, especially since it integrates with Active Directory, making everything a simple process. The product's integration capabilities are good.

I have not encountered any significant issues with the tool. It is a very good tool for its purpose, so I am quite comfortable with it as it is.

It would be good if Microsoft offered improved recovery options or if it could automate the recovery options a bit.

I have been using Microsoft BitLocker for two years. I am just a customer of the solution.

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

I have not used to receive support from Microsoft. Considering the tool's online documentation is more than enough, I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

Positive

I use Microsoft and Microsoft Office 365, and I believe it is one of the largest vendors. I use tools from multiple vendors across multiple areas. I also use Azure AD, Windows Server 2019, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016. I have used a variety of Microsoft products.

I rate the product's initial setup phase a two on a scale of one to ten, where one means it is easy and ten means it is a difficult process.

The product doesn't require maintenance.

The solution can be deployed in a few hours across the entire state.

The tool is cheap compared to the products offered by competitors. If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as one.

I don't see any AI integrations in Microsoft BitLocker. I don't think that Microsoft BitLocker is the right area for AI.

I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

We've been using BitLocker to secure our user systems.

One significant aspect is that without the BitLocker key, you can't log in to the user's laptop. I appreciate the capability to encrypt the user's hard drive, ensuring access only with the recovery key. In an enterprise setup, we store all BitLocker keys on our server. 

So, whenever a user attempts to log in, the architecture authenticates with the key. This ensures that our data is secure. Even if the user's laptop is lost, we have confidence that the data remains inaccessible. So far, our user data is well-protected.

For improvement, as it is now, I do not have any support from anyone. There should be a web interface to manage BitLocker. But for now, all I do is just install a new product on the user's machine and create it. 

I would like to be able to see everything that is happening, even if it is just through a web interface. I would also like to be able to see how many users are provisioned, which users are using BitLocker, and how to disable or enable it.  That's what I would like to see.

I've been using this solution for over seven years.

We're utilizing BitLocker, albeit an older version, to secure our user systems.

I've used it for the last seven years, and it's been reasonably stable. As long as Active Directory is up and running, then BitLocker is also fine for us.

It is very scalable. There are about 150 to 200 users using this in our company.

We plan to increase the further usage. The more mobile devices and laptops we buy, the more licenses we require for those users.

With newer versions of Windows,  the initial setup has become better. It was a challenge with Windows 8 because you needed to first put the TPM in a certain mode and things like that. Where Windows 10 or Windows 11, once we enable BitLocker, it could be straightforward. So, there's been a lot of improvements in that.

We have the expertise in-house, so we do it ourselves. The deployment is straightforward. You just go to one of your Active Directory components and enable BitLocker.

Enabling it on the server to allow users to come back to it, install the TPM on the user system, and then create the team and share it with the user. That's all. So it's straightforward. One of the most common times to add a system is when it's locked out on a user's machine. It takes us about 10 minutes then.

We require around two admins and technicians for the deployment and maintenance of the solution.

I have seen a return on investment because it's ensured that even when laptops are stolen, the users' data is protected because it's encrypted.

For the version that comes on the machine, you don't need a license. But you may need a license for support. We need to license users on the individual virtual system.

Although, the license should be part of the product.

I would highly recommend it. Even personal users should enable it. I encourage them to print out a copy of their recovery key and keep it somewhere safe.

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

Our client is a large private bank with over 200,000 or 300,000 desktop/laptop assets, which are not all on a standard operating environment. Some are legacy, some are new, and some are end-of-life, so there is a high failure rate when you push Intune policy.

Its manageability is valuable since it comes with pre-provisioning. In addition, the encryption, administration, reporting and monitoring are good.

The migration itself is a nightmare. Microsoft should give more use cases for service providers to work on. Since our client is a bank, our users do not comply with our time windows, so we should be able to block some of their access. Those features are not available. Secondly, calendaring and scheduling are done on Teams, but some users don't use Teams. From an environmental standpoint, Microsoft has everything, but when executing, none of them really work. That is where the project fails to meet its timelines.

Likewise, the availability of features can be improved.

From a migration perspective, they should make it more integrative for the admins working on it and better integration with Intune. There are also high failure rates for policy deployment.

Moreover, some policies can't be remotely enabled. One has to physically talk to the user and get the DPM and security code done. That is something that can be improved.

Our clients have been using BitLocker for one year, and are on the latest service package.

I rate the stability a nine out of ten.

I rate the scalability an eight out of ten. Our client is a large enterprise with more than 100,000 users.

Technical support was not as effective as I would have liked them to be.

Neutral

Our client is migrating from PGP to BitLocker since PGP was expensive.

I rate the initial setup a six out of ten. With deployment, policy push doesn't take time, but the next level in terms of encryption takes a while. The time taken varies depending on the type of processor, type of device, version of OS, and how much disk encryption time it takes.

Our client deployed the solution.

The solution is cost-efficient. I rate it a three out of ten.

It's a great service, but when you migrate, Microsoft needs to think of different ways they can help because they're the only ones that can make things easier. Otherwise, service providers will have a problem.

It may not be core technical, but in terms of how they can manage migrations, Microsoft should give more use cases and real-world case studies. That will help a lot.

I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We're using it to encrypt our drives. To encrypt the drives on our machines, laptops, and desktops.

The best thing about it is the encryption type and how it looks out when someone tries to access the drive.

In future releases, I would like to see a feature where I can have a view of each device that has BitLocker to see if these machines are encrypted or not. So, I just want a view or a dashboard that can tell us so that I can remediate and add BitLocker to those systems or devices.

So, it should have the ability to view which devices are using Microsoft BitLocker.

We have been using this solution since 2019. So, it has been four years. 

It's stable for me. It's been working properly for us.

There are 1200 users in our company. We are planning to expand further usage for this solution. 

Microsoft has so many workarounds and solutions on the website. I'm usually able to figure out things for myself.

The setup, like any other, was done at a corporate level. We are using it because we are licensed to Microsoft. It was a requirement to use all Microsoft products.

The licensing is cheap because it comes with Microsoft. It's not expensive because you have to pay for a Microsoft product.

It is a good product. I would rate it a ten out of ten. It's a product that helps us virtually protect important reporting data for user devices.

We encrypt our devices, drives, and certain folders based on their importance. It's very intuitive. The user interface makes it easy for us to encrypt the content of a drive or folder.

The product has improved our security by allowing us to block users who shouldn't have access to particular data. It's as simple as that.

It is quite comfortable to integrate it with other devices. 

It's very straightforward to recover data. It's safe for us; in case of lost information, it provides multiple options to recover the data.

There is room for improvement in stability. 

I have been using it for quite some time. But, I don't use it extensively. 

We've used it in a limited way, and I found it good. I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. There's always room for improvement.

It has built-in scalability. If we want to replicate settings on ten devices, we can replicate and automate that process.

There are different DevOps teams involved with this product. 

The initial setup is quite straightforward and simple. If you want to deploy it on new devices, it doesn't take long.

We secure certain devices, folders, and files. We're not deploying it broadly.

Securing our digital assets makes it worth the investment. 

Overall, I would rate the product a nine out of ten. I would recommend using 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.

It maintains security on my computer. Since I travel a lot, it gives me confidence that if, for some reason, my computer is lost, my data won't be compromised.

I am involved in a lot of work involving confidential information. So, it keeps unauthorized individuals away from my computer.

Microsoft BitLocker acts like a gatekeeper application that ensures computer security. It prevents unauthorized access and goes beyond security measures to safeguard the computer. It provides protection at a basic level.

I cannot think of any downsides to the solution at the time since it's very easy to recover my password if I forget my BitLocker password.

It would be great if there were levels of security where the basic level locks the whole computer but has a level where I could give access to an individual who could open read-only files. The solution lacks the ability to allow its user to provide limited access to someone. This is one feature that needs to be added to the solution.

I use Microsoft BitLocker on my personal computer. I have been using the solution for the last fifteen years.

I rate the solution's stability a ten out of ten.

I don't know how easy it is to use. We use it within our organization very easily. One can easily scale it from a small organization to a large one. So, I would rate its scalability an eight out of ten.

I rate the solution's customer service and support a ten out of ten.

Positive

The solution's initial setup was straightforward for me, who has worked as an IT professional to date.

The deployment model for the solution consists of not just the machine but also it is deployed in the cloud. Hence, it follows a dual-deployment model.

I would say that I have seen an ROI from the standpoint of the confidence a person gets knowing that their equipment is protected.

Since I work for an organization, I don't get involved in pricing. I'm more on the technical side. I think it's reasonably priced because I've never heard any complaints from my company about its costs.

I will tell those planning to use the solution that day to consider the current circumstances. So, the best thing to do is to use Microsoft BitLocker. Overall, I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for cybersecurity purposes. 

Overall, it is a good solution. 

We need to understand many security requirements. We chose Bitlocker due to the fact that we had Windows 10 and needed something that could centralize everything for users. We have a team that is able to handle the maintenance easily.

It is easy to use and administer. 

The initial setup was straightforward. 

The solution is stable.

It's available via Windows 10.

It can scale well. 

The only improvement needed is a module that can centralize the keys better. It needs a management console. 

I've used the solution for two or three years. 

This is stable and reliable. We just need to figure out how to manage everything in a centralized way. However, there are no bugs or glitches. 

We have 100 users or so on the product. We plan to extend that number in the future as our endpoint strategy is to cover all laptops so that even those off-site will be protected. 

This is a scalable, reliable product. 

We have good, available support. We didn't need support during deployment even though we did have access to it. 

I did not previously use another solution in this company.

At another company, I did use. Symantec Endpoint Encryption. Symantec is a proper endpoint solution, and therefore it has a console manager. With Bitlocker, we lack that centralized console. 

There was a team that handled the deployment. The process was straightforward. It is easy to deploy and install. It also doesn't take too long to implement. We don't deploy it centrally. Our team contacts the end users of sensitive endpoints. For future mobility, the strategy is to ensure all users in the future will have this on their laptops. 

We have about five admins to handle the maintenance of the product. 

We implemented the product ourselves with our internal team. We had ten people dealing with the deployment. 

The ROI is good. It's already included in Microsoft Windows 10, which makes it easy to adopt. It saves us due to the lowered risk involved for users of laptops.

The pricing is very reasonable. Bitlocker is already included in Windows version 10. We do pay extra for technical support and potential maintenance.

We're looking for some sort of solution that can help us manage Bitlocker keys. 

I am a customer and end-user. 

We're moving towards having a solution that can manage user mobility, and we have to define a strategy that may include Bitdefender. Our future strategy is all about mobility.

I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. 

I'd advise new users to compare it to other solutions and make sure they understand what Bitlocker can do. They may need an extra solution for managing Bitlocker.

I would rate the solution nine out of ten. It's great. It just needs a management console.