Of all the solutions I have researched, my opinion is that Microsoft BitLocker is the best endpoint encryption system and here’s why.
For starters, it’s free, easy to set up, and easy to maintain. It also has a friendly user interface and makes it easy to deploy hard drive encryption. Microsoft BitLocker is capable of encrypting entire hard drives, including both data and system drives. With Microsoft BitLocker enabled, pre-provisioning can drastically reduce the time required to provision new PCs.
What's also helpful is that with Windows 10 and Windows 11, administrators can turn on Microsoft BitLocker and the TPM from within the Windows Preinstallation Environment before they install Windows or as part of an automated deployment task sequence, requiring no user interaction.
With earlier versions of Windows, administrators had to enable Microsoft BitLocker after Windows had been installed. Although this process could be automated, Microsoft BitLocker would need to encrypt the entire drive, a process that could take anywhere from several hours to more than a day depending on drive size and performance, which significantly delayed deployment. Now that’s no longer the case, since Microsoft has improved the process through multiple features in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
I also like that with Microsoft BitLocker, you get peace of mind by being able to manage passwords and PINs. When Microsoft BitLocker is enabled on a system drive and the PC has a TPM, you can choose to require that users type a PIN before BitLocker will unlock the drive. Having a PIN requirement can prevent an attacker who has physical access to a PC from even getting to the Windows logon, which makes it virtually impossible for the attacker to access or modify user data and system files. I find it to be a useful security feature because it acts as a second authentication factor, giving you an extra layer of security.
In addition, Microsoft BitLocker provides a set of admin tools, including features such as enabling the encryption of full drives and other media, as well as domain or Microsoft account linking. Also, if you are a system administrator in an organization, Microsoft BitLocker has a recovery key you can use (manually or with the assistance of management software) to access data on any device that is owned by your organization, even if the user is no longer a part of the organization.
Another advantage is Microsoft BitLocker’s set-it-and-forget-it feature. After you enable encryption for a drive, it doesn't require any maintenance. You can, however, still use tools built into the operating system to perform a variety of management tasks.
Some other features I find to be useful include its agent initialization, its robust disk encryption algorithms, its good reporting on compliance, TPM chip integration, and centralized encryption key management.
Some downsides of using the solution I have experienced is that sometimes encryption is not resumed after being suspended. Also, in some cases it can take a long time to encrypt a disk
And encrypting secondary drives can be tricky. Other than that, the solution is absolutely fantastic and is a worthwhile investment.
Endpoint Encryption provides robust protection for sensitive data, ensuring it remains secure even if devices are lost or stolen. It encrypts entire disks, files, or specific data sectors, safeguarding information from unauthorized access. This solution is a critical tool for organizations aiming to protect data on endpoints such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The encryption process is usually transparent to users, making it seamless and efficient in operational environments....
Of all the solutions I have researched, my opinion is that Microsoft BitLocker is the best endpoint encryption system and here’s why.
For starters, it’s free, easy to set up, and easy to maintain. It also has a friendly user interface and makes it easy to deploy hard drive encryption. Microsoft BitLocker is capable of encrypting entire hard drives, including both data and system drives. With Microsoft BitLocker enabled, pre-provisioning can drastically reduce the time required to provision new PCs.
What's also helpful is that with Windows 10 and Windows 11, administrators can turn on Microsoft BitLocker and the TPM from within the Windows Preinstallation Environment before they install Windows or as part of an automated deployment task sequence, requiring no user interaction.
With earlier versions of Windows, administrators had to enable Microsoft BitLocker after Windows had been installed. Although this process could be automated, Microsoft BitLocker would need to encrypt the entire drive, a process that could take anywhere from several hours to more than a day depending on drive size and performance, which significantly delayed deployment. Now that’s no longer the case, since Microsoft has improved the process through multiple features in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
I also like that with Microsoft BitLocker, you get peace of mind by being able to manage passwords and PINs. When Microsoft BitLocker is enabled on a system drive and the PC has a TPM, you can choose to require that users type a PIN before BitLocker will unlock the drive. Having a PIN requirement can prevent an attacker who has physical access to a PC from even getting to the Windows logon, which makes it virtually impossible for the attacker to access or modify user data and system files. I find it to be a useful security feature because it acts as a second authentication factor, giving you an extra layer of security.
In addition, Microsoft BitLocker provides a set of admin tools, including features such as enabling the encryption of full drives and other media, as well as domain or Microsoft account linking. Also, if you are a system administrator in an organization, Microsoft BitLocker has a recovery key you can use (manually or with the assistance of management software) to access data on any device that is owned by your organization, even if the user is no longer a part of the organization.
Another advantage is Microsoft BitLocker’s set-it-and-forget-it feature. After you enable encryption for a drive, it doesn't require any maintenance. You can, however, still use tools built into the operating system to perform a variety of management tasks.
Some other features I find to be useful include its agent initialization, its robust disk encryption algorithms, its good reporting on compliance, TPM chip integration, and centralized encryption key management.
Some downsides of using the solution I have experienced is that sometimes encryption is not resumed after being suspended. Also, in some cases it can take a long time to encrypt a disk
And encrypting secondary drives can be tricky. Other than that, the solution is absolutely fantastic and is a worthwhile investment.