Hands-on! How to easily encrypt files and devices

Now that you’ve learned what cryptography is and understand its importance in keeping sensitive information and data safe, it’s quite normal for questions to pop up: after all, what can I do to incorporate this expertise effectively and actively into my daily routine? Sure, cryptography is already “silently” present in many aspects of our daily digital life. But is there a way to use the advanced resources to shield your privacy?

The answer is yes! Contrary to what many internet users believe, optimizing the security of your files and storage drives – whether internal (such as hard drives and SSDs) or external (including portable hard drives and good old flash drives) is really simple. 

You can do this by using a built-in tool in the Windows operating system. The tool in question is BitLocker, which is so intuitive that anyone can learn to use it in a few minutes.

It is available for free on Windows 7 (Ultimate or Enterprise), Windows 8/8.1, 10 (Professional or Enterprise), and Windows 11 (Pro, Enterprise, and SE). Unfortunately, the basic editions of the operating systems do not feature the tool. 

The feature can also be found in Windows Server 2008 and the controversial Windows Vista; however, since Microsoft no longer officially supports these, we will leave them aside in this article, as they’re no longer safe to use.

How to use BitLocker

The Windows operating system has a built-in security feature called BitLocker, which encrypts everything on the system drive it is installed on, preventing unauthorized external access.

There are several data encryption techniques, some weaker and others stronger. BitLocker works with 128-bit and 256-bit key encryption. It’s certainly not the highest standard available on the market, but it is more than sufficient for home use. 

The method for encrypting storage drives (HDDs or USB flash drives) may change slightly depending on the version of the operating system you are using, but in general, the procedure is more or less as follows:

• Open your computer’s File Explorer and go to the “This PC” option. In the “Devices and drives” section you can see all your storage drives.
• Right-click (to open the context menu) on the storage drive you wish to encrypt;
• Select the “Turn on BitLocker” option;
• A screen will then appear asking you to enter and confirm a PIN. Remember to use a strong password as it will be used to decrypt and access the drive when needed;
• Back up the recovery key so that you can recover the hard drive later. You can print it, save it to your Microsoft account or save the file to another device, such as a USB flash drive;
• Choose which part of the drive should be encrypted. On the next screen, click Continue;
• Finally, restart your computer. There, your computer is now more secure!;
• Back up your recovery key in case you forget it.

If you encrypt the whole hard drive, every time the computer starts, the PIN will be required to access the hard drive.

Don’t worry, you can disable this option whenever you want. Simply search for the option in the “Manage BitLocker” search bar and click “Turn off BitLocker”. 

In addition, if encrypting the entire hard disk is unnecessary, you can also use BitLocker to encrypt individual files. In this case, the procedure is as follows:

• Right-click (to open the context menu) on top of the file you want to encrypt;
• Select the “Properties” option, and in the screen that opens, click on “Advanced”;
• Select the check box “Encrypt contents to secure data”;
• Finally, back up the certificate and encryption key.

That’s it! Now you can sleep more soundly knowing that your devices and/or files have an extra layer of security.

How to store the encryption key?

Remember to take extra care not to lose or forget the decryption password entered at the time of encryption. Otherwise, you risk not being able to access your own information! 

BitLocker offers three backup options for this password: via Microsoft’s online account, in a separate local file or on a paper printout. Avoid the last two options and prefer to store it on the web. That way you will be able to retrieve it quickly from any browser.