Details
This policy setting allows you to manage BitLocker’s use of hardware-based encryption on removable data drives and specify which encryption algorithms it can use with hardware-based encryption. Using hardware-based encryption can improve performance of drive operations that involve frequent reading or writing of data to the drive.
You can specify additional options that control whether BitLocker software-based encryption is used instead of hardware-based encryption on computers that do not support hardware-based encryption and whether you want to restrict the encryption algorithms and cipher suites used with hardware-based encryption.
The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled.
Rationale:
From a security perspective hardware-based encryption may introduce vulnerabilities in the hardware encryption of certain self-encrypting drives (SEDs), if the vendor and/or user has not updated the firmware to remediate the vulnerability. For more information visit ADV180028 – Security Update Guide – Microsoft – Guidance for configuring BitLocker to enforce software encryption.
Impact:
None – this is the default behavior.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:
Computer ConfigurationPoliciesAdministrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsBitLocker Drive EncryptionRemovable Data DrivesConfigure use of hardware-based encryption for removable data drives
Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template VolumeEncryption.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).
Default Value:
BitLocker will use software-based encryption irrespective of hardware-based encryption availability.
Supportive Information
The following resource is also helpful.
This security hardening control applies to the following category of controls within NIST 800-53: Risk Assessment.This control applies to the following type of system Windows.