Windows 10 Races Past 200 Million Installs (Unofficially)

What is unknown to many is that the uploaded keys can be used to unlock an encrypted disk if retrieved from Microsoft’s servers. That’s because encrypted devices or data require a key only accessible to the owner, but many Microsoft users aren’t as protected as they think, and could be exposed to hackers and law enforcement. That’s useful for accessing your hard drive after something’s gone wrong, but it also means that if a hacker gains access to your Microsoft account, they could make a copy of it for misuse.

Although there is no way to stop Microsoft from automatically uploading the keys to the cloud, you can visit this site and enter the details of the Microsoft account associated with your PC. As mentioned by Lee, following Apple’s footsteps, Windows could offer to uncheck a box before storing the keys to the cloud instead of never informing the user about this.

But as The Intercept reports, a copy of your encryption key is also uploaded to Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage locker, and as the article notes, this is done with no choice to opt out, and probably without the user’s knowledge.

So where should you hide your encryption key?

Microsoft’s Windows 10 made some strides in improving the security of the company’s computing platform, beginning with enabling an on-by-default disk encryption system based around its BitLocker technology. Here you will find the list of all the recovery keys stored on the server. However, you will first need to write them down on a paper and store them in a secure place for future reference before pressing the delete button.

Young told us while this key backup behavior certainly presents an increased risk that someone may be able to bypass advertised encryption protections, it’s important to consider the risk in context.

The 200 million install mostly includes consumers, so Microsoft expects these numbers to improve at a much faster pace next year when more enterprises are also likely to join the Windows 10 upgrade bandwagon. Of those devices, 12 million are already running in a business setting, which is a good sign for the business prospects of Microsoft’s new operating system.

Log in to your Microsoft Account to access the service. The app – there are other similar third-party apps too – lets you save the key in your Microsoft account, on a USB stick or even print it. Simply avoid choosing the first option and you can be sure that your keys are safe and out of the reach of prying eyes.

For doing the same, go to Start, type “Bitlocker”, and click “Manage BitLocker”. As the name implies, full disk encryption means that the entire drive is encrypted, rather than specific files or folders.