My 1st concern isn't about how well Hasleo BitLocker works, but rather that BitLocker is proprietary, owned & I assume trademarked etc. by Microsoft. Hasleo BitLocker obviously isn't a direct copy of the Microsoft code, e.g. no TPM requirements, but is Microsoft going to someday take notice, and legal action, so Hasleo's product is no longer available or supported in some countries?

Comparing Hasleo's & Microsoft's BitLocker, Microsoft's BitLocker can get pretty complicated to set up and administer, though it couldn't be easier to turn on its default setup for personal use in Windows 10 Pro -- simply flip the switch at Control Panel -> System and Security -> BitLocker Drive Encryption. Hasleo's BitLocker Anywhere is software that has to be installed -- that's hardly difficult, but there are people who prefer avoiding software installs.

Microsoft uses TPM to store the key -- you use a USB stick that has to be plugged in at boot time otherwise. Hasleo BitLocker Anywhere doesn't use a TPM, so you have to enter a password. Using TPM [Trusted Platform Module] is maybe a bit controversial -- vulnerabilities have been found in the past, and the VeraCrypt FAQ faults TPM as mainly good for a false sense of security. Note: you may have to enable TPM [if desired] in the bios.

Microsoft includes a limited feature set version of BitLocker with Windows 10 Home, but it's only made available if the device meets specific hardware requirements, e.g. TPM, may go by a different name, and documentation is both sparse & a bit sketchy. In fact the main proof that it's even available in Win10 Home is that some devices running the Home version of 10 have it enabled out of the box. One of the Hasleo BitLocker Anywhere selling points is that it works in Windows 10 Home, period.

Microsoft BitLocker is designed so that an enterprise IT dept. can unlock encrypted drives/partitions, and for personal use you can export & save a key. Hasleo BitLocker Anywhere lets you save/export a key. There's some concern that Microsoft's BitLocker includes a back door -- there are some people concerned that software out of Asia may contain back doors. The open source, audited VeraCrypt has no back doors and does not support any sort of password recovery -- lose you password [or optional key file] and you're locked out of your encrypted drives, period.

VeraCrypt is generally considered more secure than either brand of BitLocker, but it's also slightly more work to set up, and the documentation & options can seem confusing. VeraCrypt can be used portably, e.g. you can include both VeraCrypt & encrypted VHDs [Virtual Hard Disks] on a USB stick. VeraCrypt also lets you nest an undetectable encrypted drive inside an outer encrypted drive.

wikipedia[.]org/wiki/BitLocker

wikipedia[.]org/wiki/Trusted_Platform_Module

veracrypt[.]fr/en/FAQ.html

lifehacker[.]com/windows-encryption-showdown-veracrypt-vs-bitlocker-1777855025

mike  –  5 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+25)

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The big question is, can this software decrypt a USB drive if it was BitLocker encrypted on a different workstation?

David  –  5 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+13)

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David, No it can not, a workstation may have a different key. MS key(s) reside in the OS drive (server) and you could have a different key on another PC attached to the server. The complexity of passwords and keys may render your USB drive not accessible in the future, depending where that drive is integrated in or plugged in the network.
BitLocker is very fussy about where the encrypted key was issued. If you change the server or the server crashes for good and the original key was there, there is no way can can ever decrypt the USB drive.

David, No it can not, a workstation may have a different key. MS key(s) reside in the OS drive (server) and you could have a different key on another PC attached to the server. The complexity of passwords and keys may render your USB drive not accessible in the future, depending where that drive is integrated in or plugged in the network. BitLocker is very fussy about where the encrypted key was issued. If you change the server or the server crashes for good and the original key was there, there is no way can can ever decrypt the USB drive.
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Matt  –  5 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+15)

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David, Yes, of course, as long as you have the correct access password or BitLocker recovery key.

David, Yes, of course, as long as you have the correct access password or BitLocker recovery key.
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Hasleo Software  –  5 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+11)

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I had previous issues with BitLocker when MS updated my system from Win10 Pro to Enterprise. I had issues with some folders failing to decrypt in the past, the password was not the issue but the key MS supplied to the system, it got wiped out after a virus infection.
Now, I use encrypted vaults for sensitive files and got read off the BitLocker because you depends on the key in the system that is embedded in the registries. With the encrypted vaults you can take your data on a USB stick or drive and you do not wary about any issues with the key(s) or installations or decryption.

Matt  –  5 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+12)

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