Data Clinic have two methods of successfully accessing, decrypting and recovering the data from Bitlocker encrypted hard drive volumes.
What is Bitlocker ?
Designed to protect the data stored on digital devices such as computer hard drives, BitLocker is a full volume encryption system for Microsoft computers running Windows Vista or later. It protects data by encrypting entire volumes and by default uses the AES encryption algorithm in cipher block chaining (CBC) or XTS mode[1] with a 128-bit or 256-bit key.
Traditionally the only way of accessing the data on a Bitlocker encrypted volume is by entering the password (the ‘decryption key’).
Bitlocker Recovery
It is possible access a Bitlocker encrypted volume without the password.
One method relies on a brute force attack which will continually try different password strings until the right one is found. As Bitlocker volumes have very strong encryption, it could theoretically take years for a single machine to crack a Bitlocker passcode. Therefore, serious attempts to crack Bitlocker encrypted volumes involve many GPU enhanced computers working together to brute force the encrypted volume. This method can and does work.
Another method works on extracting the required cryptographic keys from the system the Bitlocker volume is running on. These include RAM captures, hibernation and page files, escrow and recovery keys. This method is considerably quicker than a brute force attack and often successful.
If you’d like us to recover the data from a Bitlocker encrypted volume please get in touch. There are a few questions we need to ask first before we are able to give you cost.
Note: Throughout 2021 we’ve had multiple enquiries where for no apparent reason, or sometimes after a Windows Update, Bitlocker becomes enabled. We (and every other data recovery company) are not able to do anything with this problem. You need to contact Microsoft directly.
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