Upcoming Change: Windows 11 Boosts Protection with Mandatory Full Disk Encryption

Over the past few years, device encryption has transitioned from being something optional in most cases to being mandatory. With hardware advances, encryption no longer has the same performance penalty it once had. It has also become required in devices such as smartphones—Android phones made encryption a must years ago. Now, Microsoft will be mandating encryption in Windows 11, although you do have workarounds if your device is too old for this.

Microsoft is making significant changes to its device encryption policies in Windows 11. The upcoming 24H2 update will enable device encryption by default on both Pro and Home editions for new installations and system resets. This change has already been observed in preview builds. Microsoft also confirmed the policy shift, stating it aims to increase the adoption of device encryption. The feature utilizes BitLocker technology to encrypt system drives, safeguarding data. One thing you must take into account if you’re going to accept this change is that you must back up your BitLocker recovery key—losing access to this key could mean losing access to your entire PC.

The good part is that you shouldn’t suddenly have your PC encrypted with a future update as a result of this change. From what we understand, this is a change that applies only to new installs, not existing ones. Even then, there are concerns about how users might handle the recovery key or lose access to their Microsoft account, as both things could prove fatal if you happen to have an encrypted PC.

While Windows 11’s hardware requirements generally ensure compatibility with BitLocker, users who wish to disable automatic device encryption have a few options. For one, a registry modification during installation can prevent device encryption. Tools like Rufus can also create Windows 11 installation media that bypasses system requirements and disables BitLocker. However, we don’t really recommend doing this unless your PC is really too old to handle encryption without a significant performance penalty. Keeping your PC encrypted can be vital to keep your PC and the contents of your hard drive safe from prying, unauthorized eyes. Make sure to keep that key safe, though.

Source: WindowsLatest