I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
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@squillace well, it's part of how Windows works with Microsoft (online) accounts at least since Windows 8.1 (I had to recover an encryption key to help someone reset their Surface device and I got it through their user account, a Microslop support rep back then told me that they couldn't help if there wasn't a cloud backup, the key wasn't accessible to the user without it). So users don't really have a choice in the matter (no access to key at all, or have it on Microslop's cloud).
@Infoseepage @GossiTheDog@jt_rebelo @Infoseepage @GossiTheDog that is precisely the point. you CAN possess and NOT backup your keys in a cloud. But sure, it makes it easy for msft to help you out in a pinch. But MSFT could upload an encrypted version -- they do not offer that. Unfortunately.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog Bloody Nora!
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@GossiTheDog What's amazing to me is how many people have sleepwalked into having their user profile synced to Microsoft's servers. Super bad idea for any number of reasons.
@Infoseepage @GossiTheDog Corporations can't be trusted.They prove that over and over.
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@jt_rebelo @Infoseepage @GossiTheDog that is precisely the point. you CAN possess and NOT backup your keys in a cloud. But sure, it makes it easy for msft to help you out in a pinch. But MSFT could upload an encrypted version -- they do not offer that. Unfortunately.
@jt_rebelo @Infoseepage @GossiTheDog altneratively, they could store it in the TEE encrypted drive now, but again, they don't offer that. MSFT can't touch that one. But you have to know; normal users obviously do not.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog uploading the BitLocker recovery keys to the MS cloud is not default behavior, is it? Even the Forbes article states that you can opt-out of it (or do you even have to opt-in?).
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@GossiTheDog uploading the BitLocker recovery keys to the MS cloud is not default behavior, is it? Even the Forbes article states that you can opt-out of it (or do you even have to opt-in?).
@christopherkunz @GossiTheDog if you have to to opt out, that makes it default behaviour by definition.
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@christopherkunz @GossiTheDog if you have to to opt out, that makes it default behaviour by definition.
@jkmcnk Yup, certainly. Firing up my win machine now to see what's up with that.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog yep thzx. Just wanna add: in order to get the key from MS, it leaves ztraces in the Ermittliungsakte/ papers...just checking on the HDD drive won't (as 2 same amounts)...the info is important!
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog IT admins everywhere should have started exploring viable alternatives the second Candy Crush showed up in Windows Enterprise.
If the FBI can obtain someone's Bitlocker keys, that means malicious actors can, too.
There is no such things as a backdoor for only the good guys.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/It's not a flaw. It's a feature. For authority and Microslop.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog
Maybe that's why our IT department didn't bother to require bitlocker encryption on storage devices I plug into my new PC (actually, I think it was just an oversight).
Anyway it makes my job easier because I occasionally need to exchange data with really old applications on an unconnected XP laptop which can't run bitlocker. -
I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog You know those video's with "Wait for it!"? This is the one. I know this not an option for everyone but I love the combination of Linux and LUKS file-systems. Oh and if you don't hit bootselect at power-on, my machines boot into a small and clean Windows. Good luck with that.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/Lesson: Never trust cloud-based encryption systems from any company.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog EVERY US corporation is an extension of the US government since the Patriot Act. Whatever the government says, they must comply, and they can't talk about it. According to the law.
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog
At some point, I hope that the national security guys, the techbros, and everyone in between, will come to a final fucking realization that no matter how pure your thoughts and intentions, building backdoors or skeleton keys will ALWAYS eventually wind up in the wrong hands.Like every time
AlwaysIt is time these guys grew up and became adults
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog lol what point is there to the encryption then if it’s backdoored so cops can just ask daddy microslop for the keys
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social Windows charging people for a pro/enterprise license to encrypt more than the OS drive (while still uploading their keys to the cloud) is also just insane to me
For a long time I think you had to pay for a pro license to even encrypt your drives at all, but luckily they stopped doing that, instead you get to encrypt the OS drive for free and everything else is gonna cost you a few hundred extra dollars
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@GossiTheDog lol what point is there to the encryption then if it’s backdoored so cops can just ask daddy microslop for the keys
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social i remember thinking "wow that doesnt seem secure" when i saw the button to download bitlocker keys on my microsoft account page
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I was wondering when a reporter would uncover this.
So BitLocker is super secure, right? Well... BitLocker recovery keys are backed up to Microsoft's Cloud - and they give them out to law enforcement on request. Using the BitLocker recovery key, you can just unlock the device without a PIN etc.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/01/22/microsoft-gave-fbi-keys-to-unlock-bitlocker-encrypted-data/@GossiTheDog never trust a capitalist.
