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evacide
evacide
@evacide@hachyderm.io  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

Do not store your Bitlocker encryption keys on Microsoft's servers if your threat model includes governments or law enforcement. As this article points out, this is the result of a design choice Microsoft made. It didn't have to be this way.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/

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Alexandre Oliva
Alexandre Oliva
@lxo@snac.lx.oliva.nom.br replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

don't keep them on your microsoft-controlled, universally-backdoored computer either. microsoft, and thus the government, can get at them from your computer too. why wouldn't it?

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Paolo Redaelli
Paolo Redaelli
@paoloredaelli@mastodon.uno replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide
Proprietary Software can't be trusted. It's that simple

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Oliver :europe:
Oliver :europe:
@oliver@metalized.net replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Apart from that, storing the key in the specific provider‘s cloud isn‘t a good idea anyway - the same counts for iCloud as well. There are things that should be separated from each other because of reasons, this one is just another proof for the need to do so.

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Yan
Yan
@ynotez@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide interesting. Thanks for sharing. The article refers to it as a “privacy flaw”. I guess it depends on the definition of privacy, though to me, it seems like a security issue.

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reindeerphoto
reindeerphoto
@reindeerphoto@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide
Using other words:
Do not use software from a fascist regime.

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Cory
Cory
@LearnToLivePrivate@privacysafe.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Personally I consider the use of microsoft for any threat model out side of not having one and not caring a bad option unless its your only option say for a service that noone else has that is to high enough standards.

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x41h
x41h
@x41h@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide it absolutely floors me to see how many people are reposting this article. I mean it's good for awareness but considering anyone involved with security didn't know big tech hands over your data to IC or law enforcement before today has been living under a rock.

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Paco Hope is thankful
Paco Hope is thankful
@paco@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide “ #Microsoft says it will provide encryption keys for Windows PC data protected by BitLocker where it has access to them and it's received a valid warrant.”

The word “valid” sure is doing a lot of work there. This is the most corrupt DoJ and FBI in generations. One that ignores court rulings that it disagrees with. So what way is the warrant “valid”? Syntactically? Grammatically? Because if we get any deeper, like morally or ethically, the argument gets harder to make.

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mikeTesteLinuxQlub
mikeTesteLinuxQlub
@mikeTesteLinuxQlub@qlub.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Simply deactivate Bitlocker. Bad by design and a gate wide open to lock YOU OUT.

Just use Veracrypt or something like that on a second drive ou usb stick to protect the very sensible data......and at least, deactivate Bitlocker, that force windows recall or whatever is name to deactivate too.

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MyView
MyView
@MyView@aus.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide

Well .. they give US authorities everything else they ask for so ...

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fuzzyfuzzyfungus
fuzzyfuzzyfungus
@fuzzyfuzzyfungus@cyberplace.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide The person at Forbes who described this as a 'flaw' seems like they are deliberately underselling it. At least with tech 'flaw' almost entirely implies 'error' rather than 'decision'. It's a little harsher than some of the euphemisms that vendors prefer for product defects, in order to try to normalize how many they ship; but it's absolutely exonerative of one's intentions; which is wholly undeserved.

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Quinn9282 🖥️🌙✌️
Quinn9282 🖥️🌙✌️
@Quinn9282@mas.to replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Does MS automatically store BitLocker recovery keys on MS accounts for Pro/Enterprise editions of Windows when enabling BitLocker? I know they do this on Home editions of Windows if you have the "Device encryption" feature enabled, but at least for other editions it usually gives you the option to store the recovery key as a file when you enable BitLocker. Unless of course that's not an option that's provided if you deployed a Bitlocker management configuration to a number of devices?

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dragonfrog
dragonfrog
@dragonfrog@mastodon.sdf.org replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide In principle that would also include anyone who knows your email address and can set up a phishing website, right?

Government agencies need whatever a valid warrant is in their jurisdiction, but a user just has to log in to their account and click through the "I forget my Bitlocker password" workflow.

So someone who's stolen my laptop bag with my business card in it, knows who to phish to get into an account likely to have my recovery key, right?

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gunstick
gunstick
@gunstick@mastodon.opencloud.lu replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide whatsapp tut das gleiche. Da ist auch der private Schlüssel auf deren Servern hinterlegt.

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PKPs Powerfromspace1
PKPs Powerfromspace1
@Powerfromspace1@mstdn.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide FFS $MSFT this applies to enterprises as well and foreign govt and social activists 😳

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GhostOnTheHalfShell
GhostOnTheHalfShell
@GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide

Can we just say don’t touch anything Microsoft and don’t use anything where Microsoft is involved in software infrastructure?

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Ameise
Ameise
@Ameise@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Well, thats easy. Simply, go away from Microsoft and use Linux. I changed all my IT stuff to "Open Source" and I am happy with it since years. No privacy problems, no security problems, no hidden backdoors ...
#FOSS

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Jona Joachim
Jona Joachim
@jaj@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Why encrypt in the first place if you give out your keys. This is the same level of stupid as SSE-S3 in #AWS

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Hordearius
Hordearius
@Hordearius@theforkiverse.com replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide This is disingenuous click-bait (no surprise from Forbes). If the machine is your own, NOT managed by an employer or school, and you did not specifically choose the option to backup your recovery key by "Saving to your Microsoft Account", Microsoft doesn't have your key and can't assist law enforcement authorities in accessing the data.

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BoloMKXXVIII
BoloMKXXVIII
@BoloMKXXVIII@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Simply put, do not use any Microsoft products if real security is your goal. Anything stored outside of your own hardware is not secure. Use strong (and long) passwords and never use biometrics.

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Jamie :3 🏳️‍⚧️
Jamie :3 🏳️‍⚧️
@lavenderjamie@fedi.hug.institute replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide “While key recovery offers convenience, it also carries a risk of unwanted access, so Microsoft believes customers are in the best position to decide... how to manage their keys” If you pay for Windows Pro which is 100$ more compared to Windows Home.

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H.Lunke & Socke
H.Lunke & Socke
@HLunke@darmstadt.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide do not use M$ Software if your threat model includes governments or law enforcement

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Drahflow
Drahflow
@drahflow@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide My surprise knows no lower bounds.

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🇺🇦🇨🇮  Byrnensorg🇨🇮 🇺🇦
🇺🇦🇨🇮 Byrnensorg🇨🇮 🇺🇦
@byrnensorg@mastodon.ie replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Not that the law is after me.... yet. I scrubbed bitlocker from my system and deleted the keys from my account, so good luck with that MS.

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Tommaso Gagliardoni
Tommaso Gagliardoni
@tomgag@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide @shufflecake a bit of shameless self-promotion: it looks like we'll be able to launch a prototype for a fully hidden OS using #Shufflecake somewhere this year. And, no, we don't have an option for uploading encryption keys to "the Cloud" 😂 https://shufflecake.net/

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Todd Heberlein (social)
Todd Heberlein (social)
@toddheberlein@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide The Trump era has shown “government or law enforcement” should *always* be in your threat model.

The US is not alone in this. Lots of governments have been pushing boundaries.

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Asta McCarthy
Asta McCarthy
@AstaMcCarthy@mastodon.pirateparty.be replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Upgrade to Linux and use LUKS.

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Kris Hardy
Kris Hardy
@nonlinear@mastodon.nz replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide I still wonder what happened at the end of TrueCrypt, especially since they recommended using Bitlocker when they shut the project down. I've always had the feeling that govt was involved.

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Net Gremlin 🚴🏻 🐧 🇩🇪
Net Gremlin 🚴🏻 🐧 🇩🇪
@net_gremlin@mastodon.ip6.li replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide A threat model must always include governments or law enforcement, especially in USA (Gestapo aks ICE). Maybe also in EU, because EU commission wants total surveillance.

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evacide
evacide
@evacide@hachyderm.io replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

Because of limited space, I am using "governments or law enforcement" as shorthand for anyone who can show up at Microsoft with a valid court order for your data. This is not a 1-to-1 mapping. I understand the difference and I don't feel like arguing about it.

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Sveinn í Felli
Sveinn í Felli
@sv1@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide If you're limited by space, "governments or law enforcement" could be shorthanded into just "they", but then maybe it depends on each person's mental state what "they" would mean.
🤔

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Marius (windsheep) :donor:​
Marius (windsheep) :donor:​
@windsheep@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Judge Dredd can show up.

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René Mayrhofer :verified: 🇺🇦 🇹🇼
René Mayrhofer :verified: 🇺🇦 🇹🇼
@rene_mobile@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide
Or, because this is Microsoft we are talking about, anyone who shows up virtually with a golden authentication ticket they got through an official API surface because Azure security is a mess...

Having encryption keys stored in plaintext on any cloud service is just a completely irresponsible and bonkers design.

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Kluthulhu' XOR 1=1--
Kluthulhu' XOR 1=1--
@kluthulhu@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide To paraphrase Hank: "Government and government-accessories"

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Dаn̈ıel Раršlow 🥧
Dаn̈ıel Раršlow 🥧
@pieist@ohai.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

@evacide Somebody's going to find a way to "actually" you. You can't preempt all the possibilities. It's what they do. It's ALL THEY DO

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